


Magic

by Spaceshipfiles



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 48
Words: 143,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24079948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spaceshipfiles/pseuds/Spaceshipfiles
Summary: Harry Potter AU/ Peter Parker x ReaderYou were the girl who lived. But you didn't know in the beginning.It all seemed terrible. Your life, your aunt, your uncle. The world always put you down.Until your Midgards letter arrived and changed everything. And then, you met him on the Midgards express, and he made your feelings change too.But the evil Lord Thanos is on the rise, after being plunged into the darkness by you all those years ago, he once more starts to persist on his never ending quest to seize control of the Wizarding world, and Thanos is ready to finish what he started.Which means, killing you.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. The Vanishing Glass

"I should've known you would be here, Professor T'Challa." 

The black cat meows, and sniffs. It's shadow progresses into a broad man with a serious face.

"Good evening, Professor Strange. I must ask, are the rumours true?"

"I'm afraid so. Both good, and the bad."

"...what about the girl?" 

"Bruce is bringing her."

"Do you think it's..." the man searches for the right word, "wise to trust Banner with something as important as this?"

"T'Challa, I would trust Bruce with my life."

There is a motor sound, and the two professors look up to see a flying motorcycle coming down from the air. It skids on the street and halts. A large man with green skin and a brooding coat takes off his goggles. He quickly transforms into a normal looking man with black and silver hair.

"Professor Strange. Professor T'Challa. It's good to see you." The man nods.

"No problems, I trust, Bruce?" Strange asks.

"No. But, she did just fall asleep, so try not to wake her." Bruce hands a baby wrapped in a bundle over to Strange.

"Stephen do you really think it's safe to leave her with these people? I've been watching them as a cat all day. They are the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. They really are..." T'Challa frowns.

"But they're the only family she has." Strange whispers.

They stop outside a house.

"Think about it, Stephen. This girl will be famous. There won't be a child in our world who doesn't know her name." T'Challa says.

"Exactly. She's better off growing up away from all that. Until she's ready." Stephen places the baby on the ground slowly. Bruce sniffles, he is tearing up a little.

"There, there, Bruce. It's not really goodbye, after all." 

Bruce nods. Strange takes a letter and places it on the baby, who is now at the foot of the door.

"Good luck..._____ Marvel."

The baby has a lightning-bolt shaped scar on her forehead.   
_

"Up. Get up." Your Aunt knocks on your cupboard door repeatedly. "Now!"

You wake up, and turn on your bedroom light. Your cousin Hela stomps on the stairs above you and shouts, "Wake up! We're going to the zoo! For my wonderful birthday!"

You look up to the join works of the stairs and small amounts of dusts rise. When you try to come out of the closet, you swiftly get pushed back in by Hela. She giggles evilly, and then struts into the kitchen. 

"Oh, here she comes, the birthday girl!" Aunt Frigga tells Hela. 

"Happy birthday." Uncle Odin nods to your cousin.

You sleepily walk into the kitchen, your oversized clothes hanging loosely on you.

"Just cook the breakfast and try not to burn anything." Your aunt says, voice monotone. 

"Yes, Aunt Frigga." You nod and get to work on cooking the bacon.

"I want everything to be perfect for my Hela's special day."

You stand at the counter, trying to take your time placing the bacon on the plates. 

"Hurry up! Bring my coffee!" Your uncle yells at you.

"Yes, Uncle Odin." You respond, your voice robot like. 

After handing him his coffee, you glance to the living room, inside there is a vast amount of presents, all for Hela.

"Aren't they wonderful, darling?" Aunt Frigga asks Hela, her face beaming at the vast pile of brightly wrapped gifts. 

Instead of Hela responding with gratitude, she cocks a brow, "How many are there?"

"Thirty-six. I counted them myself." Uncle Odin nods. 

"Thirty-six?! But last year last year I had thirty-seven!! Is that all you think I'm worth?! Thirty-six pathetic gifts?!" Hela squeals.

"Well— no my dear! You see, some of them are quite a bit bigger than last years." Odin smiles, but you can tell he's worried. 

"Listen!— I don't care how big they are!" Hela shouts back. 

Frigga steps in to save the day, "Oh, well— Now what we're going to do, is that when we go out, we're going to buy you two new presents! How's that?"   
_

"This will be a lovely day at the zoo. I'm really looking forward to it." Aunt Frigga nods to herself. 

You grasp the handle of the car door, about to get inside, but Odin stops you; pointing his keys hastily toward you.

"I'm warning you now. Any funny business, any at all, and you won't have any meals for a week. Get in."  
_

When you finally arrive at the Zoo, you first enter inside the reptile house. The crowd stands gazing at a large boa constricter inside its tank, thick glass blocking your view.

"Make it move." Hela snorts loudly, obviously annoyed.

Uncle Odin taps the glass, "Move!"

Hela taps the glass much harder, and you see Uncle Odin nervously wince.

"MOVE!" Hela shouts angrily.

"It's asleep!" you say swatting her hand away from the glass, Uncle Odin glares at the gesture.

"He's boring anyway." Hela waves off, walking away with Uncle Odin and Aunt Frigga. You stay, still inthralled by the magnificent snake.

You sigh, "Sorry about her...she doesn't understand what it's like, lying there day after day, having people press their ugly faces in on you." You contort your face in annoyance, and the snake looks up at you and blinks.

Almost as if it...understands?

"Can you...hear me?" You whisper to the snake.

The snake nods in response.

Your eyebrows shoot up, "It's just...I've never talked to a snake before. Do you...I mean— do you talk to people often?" 

The snake shakes its head.

"Oh." You ponder things to converse with the reptile about, "You're from Burma, aren't you? Was it nice there, do you miss your family?" You ask, concerned.

The snake turns its head in the direction of a sign next to the tank which says, Bred in Captivity.

"I see." You nod your head glumly, "Me too. I never knew my parents, either." You sigh once more, and then think of them both.

Suddenly Hela shoves her way over to the glass, effortlessly knocking you to floor. You stare at her in utter annoyance. 

"Mom, Dad, come here! You won't believe what this snake is doing!" She squeals.

She looks at the animal in wonder, pressing her hands against the glass.

Then, Hela wretches forward, and you watch her in awe as she looses balance, and falls into the exhibit. 

The glass had vanished! All on its own!

"Whoa! Ahh! Ahh!!" She cries, crashing into the snake enclosure, into a pool of water.

You snicker gleefully at the scene in front of you. The snake, it's home invaded, suddenly slithers of the exhibit and begins to dart towards the exit, however it stops only for a moment and glances back at you. 

It nods in thanks.

"Anytime." you smile in return. 

The snake slithers off.

You glance back over to the terrarium. You watch as Hela gets up as if to get out from where she entered, however, the vanished glass had miraculously reappeared, trapping her inside.

She realizes this and begins to pound the glass in panic.

"Mom, mommy!" She cries, tears streaming down her wet, pale cheeks.

Aunt Frigga turns her head, finally noticing her daughters predicament and screams in horror. 

"Mom, help! Help me!" Hela demands once more.

"My darling! How did you get in there?! How did you get in there?" Frigga and Hela both begin to pound on the glass hysterically.

You, unable to contain your amusement, look down and begin to grin and snicker.

You look up, and there Odin stands, glaring down at you. 

Your grin quickly disappears, you are definitely in trouble.  
_

Aunt Frigga leads a wet, cold Hela into the house, reassuring her gently. 

You and Uncle Odin enter the house trailing behind, as soon as he slams the door, he pushes you up against the wall, pinning your shoulder to it.

"Ow!" you shout. 

"What happened?!" Uncle Odin shouts angrily.

"I swear I don't know!" You cry, replaying this afternoons events in your head, "One minute, the glass was there and then it was gone! It was like...like magic!" 

Uncle Odin scoffs, he then releases your shoulder, only to open your cupboard and shove you inside. 

"There's no such thing as magic!" He yells, and slams the cupboard door.  
_

"Awww, smile." Aunt Frigga says, lifting up the camera to photograph Hela. There is a flash and Frigga gasps at the photo in joy. "Odin, just look at her. I can't believe it. In just a week you'll be off to Asgard." She says, smoothing Hela's uniform. 

It was a green dress, a black blazer with gold accents, and a very pointing looking black headband.

"Proudest moment of my life." Uncle Odin says, clopping a hand on Hela's shoulder.

"Will I have to wear that, too?" you ask in disgust. 

Your Aunt and Uncle suddenly turn their attention to you.

"What, you? Go to Asgard?" Aunt Frigga says sourly.

You nod slowly and questionably. 

Everyone begins to laugh in privileged amusement.

"Oh, don't be so stupid, you're going to the state school where you belong." Aunt Frigga says, walking into the kitchen, fishing a shirt out of a boiling pot. "And this is what you're gonna be wearing— when I've finished dyeing it, that is." 

You purse your lips, "But that's Hela's old uniform. It won't fit me right." 

Frigga sighs in annoyance, "It'll fit you well enough. Now go get the mail."

You leave the kitchen; walk into the hallway and pick up the pile of letters sitting at the doorstep.You glance at the stack, about to sort through it, but the letter on the top catches your attention. Its addressed to you, and it even mentions your cupboard under the stairs. 

You walk into the kitchen mindlessly, and hand the mail to Odin, except for the top one. That ones for you. You quietly proceed to your seat at the table with the letter in hand.

You begin to open it, breaking the wax seal, but Hela suddenly notices it, she snatches out of your hand and gives it to Uncle Odin. 

"Dad! Look! _____'s got a letter! Always touching things that don't belong to her!" She tattles.

"Hey, give it back! It's mine!" you demand.

"Yours? Who'd be writing to you?" Uncle Odin laughs. 

Everyone gathers to look at the letter. On the front in loopy lettering lies the due recipient: 

Ms. __. Marvel   
The Cupboard under the Stairs

_

"Fine day, Sunday. In my opinion, best day of the week. Why is that, Hela?" 

When Hela shrugs and doesn't answer, you handing one of the cookies you're serving to Odin respond, "Because there's no mail Sunday?"

"Ah, right you are, _____. No post on Sunday. Ha! No letters today. No, sir. Not one single letter, not one." Uncle Odin says, eyes dazed.

You nod nervously and set down the cookie platter, and glad our the window. Outside, hundreds of owls are perched. Their they perch on cars, lampposts, street signs and dozens of other places. 

As Uncle Odin is muttering to himself, a letter shoots out of the fireplace and zips across his face, cutting him off. There is a rumbling and then magnificently, thousands of letters burst out of the fireplace. 

Everyone in your family shrieks in horror as you watch in amazement.

"AHH! Make it stop! Please make it stop!" Hela shrieks.

"Go away, ahh!" your uncle yells.

"What is it? Please tell me what's happening!" Hela cries. 

The letters rain down upon you. You swiftly snatch one and begin to run towards your cupboard. Whoever the sender of these letters were, they must really want to convey a message to you.

"Give me that! Give me that letter!" Uncle Odin shouts, he darts over and grabs you violently before you can get in your cupboard.

"Get off! Ahh!" you grunt, trying to push the man off of you. 

He continues to restrain you, even as several letters begin to smother him. 

"They're my letters! Let go of me!" you growl. 

The wood plank Odin had nailed in front of the letterbox suddenly breaks from excess pressure of the letters stuffing themselves in it. The stream hits Odin and he falls on the ground in madness. 

"That's it! We're going away! Far away! Where they can't find us!" Uncle Odin shrieks.  
_

Uncle Odin had taken the entire family to a secluded tall house on a rock island, somewhere at sea. All because of those letters. What could possibly be written inside that was making Odin so miserable?

Currently, it was storming badly on the water. You could hear the thunder and waves lapping strongly against the rock on which the cabin sat.

Hela sleeps soundly on the rickety sofa near you, your aunt and uncle tucked away upstairs.

You however lie on the cold, dirt floot. Today, however was a special day, it was your birthday. Well it was nearly your birthday, there was only 5 minutes until the clock hit midnight. 

In those five minuets, you draw a very poor— yet satisfactory, birthday cake in the dirt coating the floor and write, Happy Birthday _____, on it, as a little decoration. 

You look over at Hela's watch, and it beeps 12:00.

You look at the drawing and smile softly. 

"Make a wish, ______." You mumble, blowing on on the "candles" of the birthday cake.


	2. The Girl Who Lived

Suddenly lightning strikes on the water, and a loud bang sounds on the door. 

No way...could someone be knocking?

The door thumps even louder. Dust rises off the floor near the entrance.

You jump back as the door thumps again. Hela shoots up from in fear, and spots you hide behind a half wall. She looks around and decides to cower on a windowsill. 

Uncle Odin and Aunt Frigga appear on the stairs, also awoken by the ruckus. Odin raises something, a gun, and points it at the door. 

"Who's there?" he shouts.

The door bursts open and then falls down, straight off the hinges. In the frame their stands a giant green man. 

As soon he comes into the clear lighting, his form shrinks into a short man with black and gray hair and olive skin. 

"I-I'm...uh...sorry about that that." The man blushes sheepishly, and then turns into the green giant again to place the large door back on its hinges.

Your Uncle aiming a gun at him, speaks, "I demand that you leave at once you monster! You are breaking and entering!"

Frigga quietly gasps in fear, as the green giant stomps over to the pair of them. The giant grabs the gun and bends it upwards, as if it were made of rubber. 

The giant grunts, eyes firey. With one swift movement he turns around and eyes Hela, his eyes soften, and he turns back into the black haired man. 

"Wow! I haven't seen you since you were a baby, _____, but you're a bit...different...than I remember you." He nervously laughs.

"I-I-I'm not _____." Hela stutters.

You move out from behind the half-wall, "I-I am."

"Ah! Yes, that's definitely more like it, ha!" He pauses and thinks for a moment, "Oh! I— I have something for you. But i'm think Hulk might have sat on it at some point. He baked it, you know— although he's not much of a cook." He hands you a box, which looks a bit smushed, but still great. "All of its homemade, frosting lettering and all." 

You hesitantly open the box, and read the message on the cake, "Happee Birtdae _______" the message reads in green frosting. The green is identical to the shade of the giants skin.

"Thank you!" you smile, genuinely grateful for your first birthday cake.

"Ah, it's nothing. After all, it's not every day that someone turns eleven." The smiles softly.

He sighs gently and sits down on the sofa, he takes out an umbrella and points it at the dim fireplace. Two sparks fly out of the top of the umbrella and the logs within burst into flames. Everyone looks at the spectacle in astonishment.

You place your cake on the table, and then turn to the man, "Excuse me but, who exactly are you?"

"Oh! I'm Bruce Banner, the keeper of keys and grounds at Midgards. That green guy, that's Hulk. There's not much more to it, as i'm sure you know all about Midgards."

"Sorry, no." you shrug. 

"No? That's funny. You're a real jokester already, _____" he smiles pleasantly. 

"I'm being honest Mr. Banner— I really have no clue." 

His smile melts into concern, "You haven't ever wondered where your parents learned all they knew?"

"Learned what?"

"Well, magic of course. You're a witch, _______."

Your brain falters, your expression confused, "I-I'm a what?"

"A witch. And basing it off your parents, I figure you're a pretty good one. You just need to learn a little." Banner shrugs.

"No, you've made a mistake. I can't be...a-a witch. I mean, I'm just...me. Just _____." you mumble.

"_____, have you ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain, strange things, things that have happened when you were angry or scared?"

Your expression softens, it all makes sense. 

Banner hands you a letter. Your letter. The source of your uncles madness.

It was so beautiful with its red seal, and it's loopy lettering, which was written in a stunning emerald green ink.

You tear the seal and begin to read contents of the letter aloud "Dear, Ms. Marvel. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Midgards' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"She'll not be going! We swore when we took her in, we'd put a stop to this—- this madness!" Uncle Odin booms.

"You knew? You knew I was a witch all along and you never told me?" You snap.

"Of course we knew." You aunt pipes in, "How could you not be? My perfect sister being who she was. Oh, my mother and father were so proud the day she got her letter. We have a witch in the family. Isn't it wonderful? I was the only one to see her for what she was. A freak...! And— and then she met that man, and then she had you, and I knew you'd be just the same as her, just as strange, just as... abnormal. And then she went and got herself blown up! And we got landed with you."

Your mouth opens in shock, "Blown up? You told me my mom died in a car crash!" 

"A car crash? A car crash kill Carol Danvers?" Bruce says, voice edgy with anger.

"We had to tell her something." Frigga shrugs snootily. 

"That's outrageous...! You think a car crash could kill Captian Marvel?" Bruce growls.

"It doesn't matter— she'll not be going!" Odin shouts.

"Oh? I figure a great Muggle like you going to stop her, right?" Bruce looks at him, somewhat amused. 

You turn to Bruce, "Whats a Muggle?"

His face softens as he turns to you, "People who can't do magic. Now listen— ______ will be going to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, and will be under the finest headmaster that Midgards has ever seen."

Odin's face reddens, "I will not pay for some crackpot old fool to teach her magic tricks!"

Bruce sighs, then whips out his umbrella and points it at your uncle threateningly, "Don't ever insult Stephen Strange in front of me." 

Just then, Bruce's pocket watch chimes loudly.

"Shoot— we're a bit behind schedule. We should probably get going, _____." he opens the door and then turns to you, "Unless you'd rather stay, of course?"

You grin, looking back at your cowering family, and then grab your jacket and join Bruce  
_

You and Bruce strut down Main Street gazing upon the rows and rows of shops surrounding you. 

"All students must be equipped with...one standard size two pewter cauldron and may bring if they desire either an owl, a cat or a toad....Well, could— could we find all this all in the city?" you wonder aloud.

"Yeah, of course. If you know where to go." Bruce smiles. 

The two of you continue walk until Bruce stops at a corner store, as you get closer, you read the sign above it reads, "The Leaky Cauldron." 

Bruce pushes open the door, inside music plays and several patrons sit, chatting amongst one another. 

"Ah, Mr. Banner! The usual, I presume?" the bartender asks.

"Oh...geez, No thanks, Tom. I'm on official business today. Im just helping _____ here buy some school supplies." 

"Bless my soul. It's ______ Marvel." Tom whispers. 

The bar immediately goes silent, and then a man comes up to you and shakes your hand.

"Welcome back, Ms. Marvel, welcome back." he greets another person, this time a woman, greets you with the same pleasant expression, "Ms. Marvel. I can't believe I'm meeting you at last!"

"______ M-marvel. C-can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you." 

You turn, on your other side a new person stands. A anxious looking man with a red turban on his head. 

Bruce smiles at him warmly, "Good to see you, Professor. ______, this is Professor Aldrich Killian. He's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Midgards."

"Oh, nice to meet you." You nod, squarely placing out your hand, as to offer a handshake.

However he looks at your hand and hesitatingly refuses. 

He laughs nervously, "F-fearfully fascinating subject.   
N—Not that you need it, e-eh, Marvel?"

You pull your hand away and it dangles awkwardly starts your side. 

Bruce nods politely, "Ah...yes...very true. Well the two of us need to get going, we still have the whole supply list to buy." 

"Goodbye." You wave.

Bruce leads you into a back room winery and then stops at the very back, in front of a large brick wall. 

"Well, ______, I should've told you, you're quite famous here."

You scratch your chin, "But why am I famous, Bruce? All those people back there, how is it they know who I am?"

"I'm...I'm not exactly sure I'm the right person to tell you that, ______." He shakes his head, and turns away.

Lifting an arm, he taps the brick wall clockwise with the tip of his umbrella. The blocks then magically shift and open up to reveal a hidden, busy street full of magical wonders.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

You grin broadly as you and Banner step into the street and begin to walk down it. 

"This where you'll get your quills and ink." Bruce says nonchalantly, pointing to a storefront.

You are absolutely amazed as you pass by the many shops and peer into the display windows. As you and Bruce pass a broomstick store, you spot a group of young boys crowd around a particularly shiny broom.

"It's a world class racing broom. Look at it, it's the new Vibranium 2000! It's the fastest model yet." one of the boys gushes. 

You go to look closer at the name written in gold lettering on the handle, but Bruce pulls you along.

"Bruce...how can I pay for all these supplies? I don't have any money...and my aunt and uncle surely—" 

Bruce shakes his head and points to a tall, white marble building, "Inside that building is where all your money is kept. It's Gringotts, the Wizard Bank." He pauses for a moment, "I can't think of any place safer to keep your money than Gringotts."

Bruce pushes open the door and leads you inside, the pair of you walk down the shiny aisle, passing tiny creatures working diligently at their desks.

"Excuse me Bruce...what exactly are these creatures?" you whisper.

"They're goblins. Very intelligent. Not really personable. Just stay nearby and you'll be fine." Bruce nods. 

As you approach the main counter, Bruce clears his throat, a goblin, wearing spectacles and a waistcoat, glances up from his papers. 

"Ms. ______ Marvel wishes to make a withdrawal." Bruce says.

"And does Ms.______ Marvel have her key?" The goblin asks, mildly perturbed. 

"Oh." Bruce digs through his pockets for a moment,  
"Got it." He places the key on the desk. 

"Oh, and there's something else." Bruce mutters. 

He takes out a large, flat package wrapped with string, and hands it to the goblin. "It's from Headmaster Strange about...well you know." He says suggestively.

The goblin nods plainly, "Very well."  
_

Later, you, Bruce, and Goblin escort, race down a deep cavern underneath the bank in a strange cart-like structure. After a swift turn, the cart stops in front of a row of heavy doors, and the escorting goblin steps out.

"Vault 687. Lamp, please." the goblin requests. 

Bruce reaches out and hands him the lamp, and the goblin continues to the vault, "Key please."

Bruce complies once more and hands him the key, the goblin sticks the key in the vault and turns it. 

The vault swings open, and inside it's filled nearly top to bottom with hundreds of thousands of gold coins. 

Your jaw drops. 

"Wow, _____. You didn't think your parents would leave you with nothing did you?" Bruce laughs.  
_

After grabbing a healthy sum from your vault, the cart shoots forward, going deeper into the cavern. 

The cart stops once more, this time in front of a row of unusual vault doors, doors with no visible keyholes, only a system of gears and metal spheres.

"Vault 713." the goblin announces. 

"What's in there, Bruce?" you ask.

"Oh! Um...well, I can't tell you, ______. It's for Headmaster Strange."

The goblin walks up the the vault door, and slides a single finger down its length. The door opens to reveal a small, glowing package. Bruce steps out of the cart, enters the vault, and scoops it up.

Bruce steps back in the cart and turns to you, "You probably shouldn't mention this to anyone."

You nod in aggreement. You wouldn't do anything to risk Midgards.  
_

Outside the bank, now back in Diagon Alley, you and Bruce continue walking through the street. You had bought most of your equipment, you pull out the list and scan it to see what else you need to buy. 

"I still need...a wand." 

Bruce thinks, "A wand...hmm, well, you'll probably want to go into Visions." he points to a store "Go ahead by yourself. I just have one more thing I got to do. I won't be long." Bruce smiles.

You nod, and enter Visions wand shop. Inside, there are hundreds of shelves with wands in boxes on them, but no people in sight. 

"Hello? Hello?" you call softly.

Then, a shuffling noise comes from the back, and a mans head peeks out at you from behind a shelf. 

The man has reddish hair, blue eyes, and wears red and gold robes adorned with a turquoise cape, around his neck he wears a yellow stone pendent. It looked like a lump of unpolished yellow diamond. 

He approaches the counter, rubbing his hands together warmly, "Ah! I wondered when I'd be seeing you, Ms. Marvel. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands. Im Vision." He greets, he then turns around and plucks the a wand box from the shelf behind him, "Ah. Here we are." 

He opens the box and hands the wand to you.

You hold it.

"Well...give it a wave." Vision ushers you. 

You hesitate, but wave it. With the wave, a shelf of wand boxes comes cascading down and crashing to the floor. You jump and hurriedly place the defective wand back on the counter. 

"Apparently not..." Vision mutters, he thinks for a moment and grabs another wand box. "Perhaps this."

You take the wand and wave it at a nearby vase, which shatters instantly. 

"No, no, definitely not! No matter..." He goes to grab another wand box, but stops and begins to mutter to himself, "I wonder." 

He goes into the very back of the shop and pulls out a red leather box, opens it and presents the wand to you. 

No sooner after you touch it, you suddenly glow under it, your hair blows up and bits of paper fly back. 

Mr. Ollivander looks a bit surprised, and falls deep into thought. "Curious, very curious." he mutters.

"Sorry, um, what's curious?" You ask sheepishly.

Examining the wand he gave to you, he speaks, "I   
remember every wand I've ever sold, Ms. Marvel. It just so happens that the same phoniex whose feather is in your wand gave another feather, just one other. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar." He points to the lighting bolt on your forehead.

"And...who owned that wand?" you question.

"Oh...we do not speak his name. The wand chooses the wizard, Ms. Marvel. It's not always clear why, but I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, the Mad Titan did great things...terrible but great." he hands you your wand.

A loud knock sounds on the storefront window.

It's Bruce, holding a snowy owl in a golden bird cage,   
"Happy birthday, ______!" Bruce grins. 

The owl hoots loudly. 

You smile brightly. This was the best birthday ever.  
_

You and Bruce sit comfortably in the Leaky Cauldron, enjoying a meal. However inside the bar everything is almost too quiet.

"Are you all right, ______? You seem a bit quiet." Bruce asks kindly. 

You sigh, "He killed my parents, didn't he? The one who gave me this. You know, Bruce, I know you do."

He bites his lip and pushes his food away, "First, just understand this, _______, it's very important. Not all wizards are good. Some are bad, some are good, some in between. A few years ago, there was one wizard who went as bad as you can go. And his name was Th—..." Bruce looks at the floor uncomfortably, 

"His name was...Thanos." 

"Thanos?" you ask.

"Shh!!" Bruce hushes. 

You look around to see if anyone heard.

Bruce sighs, "Those were dark times, ______. Thanos started to gather followers. Anyone that stood up to him ended up dead. Your parents fought as hard as they could against him, but...nobody lived once he decided to kill them. Nobody...except you."

"Me? Thanos tried to kill...me?" you ask in astonishment.

Bruce nods, "That isn't a ordinary cut on your forehead. Something like that only comes from being touched by a curse...a very dark curse."

"What happened to...to You-Know-Who?" you question, voice wobbling.

Bruce looks off, "No one really knows...some people say he died. But those are just rumors. But me...I think he's still out there too weak to go on. Through all this though, one thing's certain. Something about you stopped him that night. That's why you're famous, ______. That's why everybody in our world knows your name. You're the girl who lived."


	3. Platform 9¾

You and Bruce enter the train station and pause for a moment upon a crossing bridge, checking your cart to make sure you have the correct baggage, and equipment. A couple passerby's stare at you, Bruce and your owl suspiciously.

Bruce looks quite timid, then checks his watch

"Geez, is that the time? ______, I'm gonna have to leave you. Strange will be wanting— uh, be wanting to see me. Now, listen, your train leaves in 10 minutes. And here's your ticket." he hands the slip to you "Make sure to stick to your ticket. Follow exactly what it says okay?"

You look down at the slip of paper. 

"Platform 9¾? But, there must be a mistake. This says Platform 9¾. There's no such thing...or is there?" You look up, but Bruce has vanished. You stand there awkwardly, all alone with your cart and Hedwig. 

Out of the corner of your eye you spot a guard. He must know where this in between platform is. 

"Excuse me." you mutter politely, gently tapping his arm.

He continues to talk to another patron, not paying full attention to you.

"Excuse me, sir. Can you please tell me where I can find Platform 9¾?" you ask. 

"9¾? Do you think you're being funny or something?" The guard rolls his eyes and walks away.

"It's the same year after year. Always packed with Muggles. Come on. Platform 9¾ this way! All right, Ned, go on." A woman calls, following her are two boys about your age, the items on there carts nearly identical to the items on yours. 

A boy with black hair and brown skin, presumably the one called Ned, comes forward and runs the towards   
brick wall in between the nine and ten platforms. 

Amazingly, he disappears right into it.

You quickly approach the woman for help, "Excuse me! Miss— C-could you tell me how to-"

She smiles at you politely, "How to get on the platform? Don't worry. It's Ned and Peter's first time to Midgards as well." She nudges the boy who must be Peter and he smiles, his face slightly red. 

The woman points at the wall, "Now, all you've got to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms nine and ten. It's best to do it at a run if you're nervous."

"G-Good luck!" The boy named Peter smiles.

You smiles sheepishly in return, close your eyes, take a big breath and then run directly toward the wall. 

When you open your eyes you've emerged on the other side, and in front of you Platform 9¾ lies; with a bright red train on the track and hundreds of people saying goodbye to loved ones and leaving for school. 

The train whistle blows, and you sigh with relief.  
_

Inside the Midgards express, at the beginning of your journey, you sit alone in a train compartment.

A knock sounds at the sliding door, and it opens, the boy you saw earlier, Peter; appears in the doorway.

"E-Excuse me, do you mind if I sit with you? Everywhere else is full." He smiles sheepishly.

You blush slightly, "No, not at all."

Peter sits down across from you, "I'm Peter, by the way. Peter Parker." he extends his hand, which you gladly shake.

"I'm ______. ______ Marvel."

Peters mouth goes agape. "So— so it's true? Oh...I'm sorry. That wasn't very polite..." 

"It's okay. I don't mind." You shrug. 

His eyebrows go up slightly, "So...do you really have the..."

"The what?" you ask, raising a brow.

"The scar...?" he whispers.

"Oh." You point to it on your forehead. 

"Awesome." He murmurs. 

Another knock sounds on the compartment door, and it slides open to reveal an elderly witch pulling a trolley full of candy and sweets.

"Anything sweet, dears?" the witch asks warmly. 

Peter holds up a mushed sandwich with a pack of smashed chips, "No, thank you."

This upsets you for some reason, "Actually...we'll take the whole cart." you announce, pulling out a satchel of golden coins.

"Are you serious?" Peter asks, eyes wide.  
_

A bit later, you and Peter are sitting right next to one another eating your bundles of sweets. 

Peter's rat, Nebula, is perched on his knee, a box over her head.

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans?" you ask, holding up the purple and gold jellybean box. 

Peter nods, "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor. Off the top of my head there's chocolate, peppermint, spinach, broccoli— even fish. And Ned swears he got one flavored like dirty socks once." 

You quickly take the bean you were chewing out of your mouth.

You pick up a blue and gold package, "These aren't real chocolate frogs, are they?"

Peter shakes his head, "It's just an enchantment. Besides, it's the cards you really want. Inside every package there's a card that has a famous witch or wizard on it."

You nod, impressed. You open the package, and an enchanted chocolate frog leaps out and onto the window; and begins to climb its way upward. 

"Oh no!" Peter lunges for the frog.

Before he can capture it, the frog reaches the open gap in the window, and jumps out, it's fate unknown. 

Peter sighs, "Oh, that sucks. Plus they only have like one good jump in them to begin with."

You shrug and look at the card you'd received, "I got Headmaster Strange!"

"Nice! I have about six copies of him at home." Peter grins.

You go look at the card again, but Strange has vanished from his portrait. 

"Hey, he's gone!" you frown.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang out in the portrait all day, can you?" Peter laughs, "You're funny, _____."

His rat squeaks loudly, "Oh, This is Nebula by the way. She's a bit old, and Ned makes fun of me for it, but...she's a good pet. For the most part." 

"Is Ned your brother?" you question. 

"Oh— n-no he's my just best friend. His mom just didn't want to take him to the platform, because she's a muggle, I guess. He's basically family, so my Aunt May decided he could come with us. Ned's mom...doesn't really understand magic. Now that I think of it, Ned did some reading this summer and gave me a spell to turn Nebula yellow, do you wanna see?"

"Yeah!" you exclaim.

He clears his throat, "Ahem. Sun-"

Suddenly the compartment door slides open and a girl with bushy brown hair, already dressed her school uniform appears at the doorway, her face sour, "Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Ned Leeds has lost one."

"Again? Well...I haven't seen his toad since we left the house. But tell him I'll keep an eye out anyway." Peter responds, you nod in agreement. 

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see." she looks at Peter's wand expectantly. 

Peter clears his throat again. "Sunshine, daises, butter mellow, turn this fat rat yellow." 

He zaps Nebula, but nothing happens. He shrugs.

She rolls her eyes, "Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good. Of course I've only tried a few simple spells myself, but they've all worked for me. For example..." 

The girl goes over and sits across from you. She points her wand at your broken wrist watch and you tense. 

"Reparo." 

The tape on the watch vanishes, and the accessory now looks as good as new. You take it off and gaze at it in amazement. 

"That's better, isn't it?" She smiles, and then her eyes narrow, "Oh my, you're ______ Marvel. I'm Michelle Jones...and uh, you...?" she says looking to Peter. 

"I'm...Peter Parker." he says through a mouth full of sweets. 

As he raises a sticky hand to shake hers, you cover your mouth and laugh. 

She grimaces and shakes his candy coated hand, "Uh, pleasure.Well, you two better change into your robes. I think we'll be arriving at school soon." 

She closes the compartment door, then opens it back up and looks at Peter. 

"You've got dirt, on your nose, by the way, did you know? Just there. Im not obsessed, just very observant." she points to a streak of dirt on his nose. 

Peter blushes, then rubs his nose, obviously embarrassed.  
_

Everyone shoves past as you and Peter step off the train.

"First years! This way, please! Come on." Bruce calls to the mass of students. 

You and Peter, now in your school robes, walk up to Bruce.

"Hello, _____." Bruce waves.

"Good to see you Bruce." you smile.

Bruce nods, "You too. Now, this way to the boats first years! Follow me."  
_

A large number of boats begin plunging across the vast lake, where up ahead a huge castle, the Midgards Castle, can be seen fully. Everyone around you is in awe, including yourself.

After everyone docks the boats, and exits, the first year students walk in the castle, and up the staircase. At the bottom of the stairs up you see a fierce looking Professor, waiting. He taps his fingers on a stone railing, and then goes to the top of the stairs to greet the newcomers. He begins to speak,

"Welcome to Midgards. I am Professor T'Challa. Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you house points. Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." Professor T'Challa says all of this very seriously, although, he has a certain charm to him that you already like.

"Han!" Someone shouts.

You turn, it's Ned; he lunges by the professors feet, where his pet toad lies, and scoops the creature up. 

T'Challa stares down at him as some of the students laugh

"Sorry." Ned mutters, backing away.

"The sorting ceremony will begin soon." T'Challa nods, then departs into through two large doors.

"It's true then, what they're saying on the train. _______ Marvel has come to Midgards." 

You turn to meet the voice.

It's a rather sly looking girl, her brown hair slicked back into a tight bun.

Some of the students start whispering. This makes you uncomfortable.

The girl points to two people standing next to her, "This is Flash and Betty. And I'm Elizabeth Allen. Most people just call me Liz." 

She looks you up and down, but then her eyes travel to the person next to you, "Well, well. Peter Parker. How are your parents? Oh wait." 

Peter's face falls darkly and he backs away. 

She snickers, "Well, you'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, Marvel. You don't want to go make friends with the wrong kind. I can help you there." She extends her hand to you.

You think for a moment and decide aren't going to take Elizabeth's arrogance, "I think I can tell who the wrong kind are for myself, thanks."

You stare at her empty hand as it drops in sour disappointment. She glares. 

T'Challa enters back into the hall through the large doors, and taps Liz on the shoulder with a paper. She turns around and leaves you with one last hateful look.

"We're ready for everyone now. Follow me." Ushers T'Challa. 

He leads everyone through two large doors and into the Great Hall, where there are four long tables with hundreds of students already sitting, looking up, floating candles illuminate the room, and the ceiling of the hall appears to be the open sky.

"It's not real, the ceiling. It's just enchanted to look like the night sky. I read about." Michelle announces to the group. 

T'Challa leads the first-years to the front where the rather drab looking hat lies on a stool.

"Wait along here, please. Now, before we begin, Headmaster Strange would like to say a few words." 

Strange rises from the main table.

"I have a few start of term notices I need to announce. The first years, note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker,   
Mr. Lee—" you glance over to am old man, who holds a cat with red eyes. "—has asked me to remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you." He sits back down.

"When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses, Michelle Jones." Professor T'Challa calls, she goes up to the stool.

"She's...interesting." Peter whispers to you.

You nod in agreement. Michelle sits on the stool and T'Challa places the sorting hat on her head.

"Ah, right then...hmm...right. Okay...Gryffindor!!" The sorting hat sounds.

The Gryffindor table cheers; Michelle jumps off the stool with a frown.

"Elizabeth Allen."

Liz saunters up proudly. The tattered hat nearly freaks before barely touching down on her head.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The students in green cheer, but not as loudly as the students in red.

"There isn't an evil witch or wizard that wasn't in Slytherin." Peter mutters sourly. You suddenly feel frightened. What if you were put in Slytherin?

"Gwen Stacy."

A small blonde girl goes up. Now bored, you look around and notice a greasy black haired, pale man, sitting at the Professors table, giving you a sinister look. Your scar suddenly burns.

"Ahh!" you hiss in pain you put your hand on your forehead. 

"______, what is it?" Peter asks concerningly.

"Nothing...uh nothing, I'm fine." you lie, pulling your hand away, you try to focus on the sorting in front of you.

"Let's see...I know...Hufflepuff!" the hat announces, the cheering commences once more, she walks over to the table with the yellow robed students.

"Peter Parker." Professor T'Challa calls, Peter gulps and walks up. He sits down and the hat is put on.

"Ha! I know just what to do with you... Gryffindor!!" the students cheer as Peter sighs in relief.

"_______ Marvel." T'Challa announces.

Everything goes silent. You walk up and sit down on the stool. The Sorting Hat is placed on your head.

"Hmm...difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?"

"Well...Not Slytherin. Just not Slytherin." you beg the hat, you didn't want to end up like Thanos, or just evil for that matter.

"Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. It's all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness! There's no doubt about that. No?"

"Not Slytherin...please, anything but Slytherin." you beg.

"Well, if you're so sure... better be...GRYFFINDOR!!" the hat yells.

There is an immense cheering and you go to the Gryffindor table.

"We got Marvel! We got Marvel!" a girl and boy both shout, they look like siblings but, weirder.

You sit down at the table. You glance up at Strange, who lifts up his goblet and slightly waves it, as if he was wishing you congratulations.  
_

Later, all of the first years are sorted in their houses, all of the students were talking to each other. T'Challa dings on a cup.

"Your attention, please." he says.

Strange rises from his chair, "Let the feast...begin!"

Right in front of your eyes food magically appears on all the tables, and the hall is filled with awe and chatter.

"Wow!" you exclaim.

Peter begins to stuff his face.

"I'm half and half. My dad's a Muggle. Mom's a witch. Bit of a shock for him when he found out." Remy LeBeau says. Ned laughs. 

You were sat next to the prefect, Charles Xavier. You lean over, "Say, Charles, who's that teacher talking to Professor Killian?"

"Oh, that's Professor Laufeyson, head of Slytherin house."

"What's he teach?" you ask.

"Potions. But everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he loves. He's been after Killian's job for years." Charles says.  
_

"Gryffindors, follow me, please. Keep up. Thank you. This is the most direct path to the dormitories. Oh, and keep an eye on the staircases...they like to change." Charles says.

You look up and see a vast amount of staircases, people walking on them, and some switching places.

"Keep up, please, and follow me. Quickly now, come on. Come on."

You begin walking up the stairs, several of the portraits begin greeting you.

"Remy that picture's moving!" Ned says.

"Look at that one!" Peter points to it.  
_

A bit later on the seventh floor, you are in the corridor leading to Gryffindor Tower. You come up to a large painting of a large woman in a pink dress. Apparently, she is known as "The Fat Lady". 

"Password?"

"Daybreak." Charles says.

The Fat Lady smiles and nods in confirmation. The painting opens up to reveal a doorway in the wall, leading to Gryffindor Tower. 

"Follow me, everyone. Keep up, quickly, come on." once inside the common room Charles starts to speak again. 

"Gather 'round here. Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room. Boy's dormitories, upstairs and down to your left. Girls, the same on your right. You'll find that your belongings have already been brought up." Charles nods and waves everyone up.  
_

Later at midnight. You're sitting by a window in your pj's, with Hedwig. You pet the owl and look out the window, you sigh with content, knowing that you will love it here at Midgards.


	4. Potions and Parcels

It is morning at Midgards, you and Peter are running in through corridors, well, because you were late for Transfiguration class. Seeing the classroom, you and Peter rush in; you see Michelle roll her eyes in annoyance because you two were late on the first day. 

She had most definitely been the first person in the class room, while everyone was still sleeping the girls dormitories, she was making quite a ruckus getting ready. It was especially loud because her bed was right next to yours. 

"We made it. Can you imagine the look on Professor T'Challa's face if we were late?" Peter says, breathlessly.

A black cat jumps off the teachers desk and transforms into Professor T'Challa! The two of you are amazed.

"Awesome." Peter exclaims.

"Thank you for that assessment, Mr. Parker. Perhaps if I were to transfigure Ms.Marvel and yourself into a pocketwatch, that way one of you might be on time."

"We got lost." you admit.

"Then maybe a map? I trust you don't need one to find your seats." he waves you off and walks to the front of the classroom.  
_

Later on, inside Professor Laufeysons potions classroom, the whole class is chattering, and everyone's desks have steaming cauldrons on them. The door slams open and Laufeyson comes rushing in.

"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to enjoy the subtle science and exact art that is potion making. However, for those select few..." he looks at Liz, who smiles. "who possess the predisposition, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death." 

You were scribbling what Professor Laufeyson said in his lecture down, not paying attention anymore.

"Then again, maybe some of you have come to Midgards in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confidant enough to not pay attention."

Michelle nudges you, finally making you look up to the Professor. He then walks to where he can speak to you more properly.

"Ms. Marvel. Our new celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" 

Michelle raises her hand. You shrug. 

"You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Ms. Marvel, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" 

Michelles hand raises again.

"I don't know, sir." you mutter, embarrassed.

"And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfbane?"

"I don't know, sir." 

"Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything." Laufeyson says. Liz has a smirk on her face. "Is it, Ms. Marvel?"

"Clearly, Michelle knows. Since it's a pity not to ask her." you say sourly.

Michelle looks a bit surprised as everyone laughs.

"Silence." he turns to you, looking a bit insulted; you gulp. 

Laufeyson then walks over to his desk to Michelle, who has still got her hand up. "And put your hand down, you silly girl."

He sits in front of you, and leans towards you. "For your information, Marvel, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful, it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." 

Everything is quiet.

"Well?" he says to the students. "Why aren't you all copying this down?" Everyone obeys him and start to write down what he previously said.

He returns to his desk, and dips his quill into some ink, "And Gryffindors, note that five points, will be taken from your house; for your classmate's cheek." Professor Laufeyson starts writing; Michelle looks at you with something you can't place and then starts writing. 

You look at Laufeyson, who turns slightly and then continues writing.  
_

In the great hall, around midday. All the students are all doing their homework. Remy is trying a spell on a cup.

"Eye of rabbit, harp string hum. Turn this water, into rum." Remy looks into his cup and shakes head. "Eye of rabbit, harp string hum..." 

"What's Remy trying to do to that glass of water?" you ask.

"Turn it into rum. He actually managed to conjure a weak tea yesterday, before—" Peter says being cut off when a mighty flash occurs. 

Looking down the table you now see that the cup has exploded and Remys face is left charred. Several students burst out laughing at this. 

Suddenly, a flock of owls start coming into the hall from the rafters above.

"Ah. Mail's here." Peter smiles.

The owls soar by, dropping parcels to students. You get nothing. You see the newspaper Peter has put down.

"Can I borrow this?" you ask, Peter nods.

"Hey, look! Ned's got a Remembrall!" Remy shouts.

"I've read about those. When the smoke turns red, it means you've forgotten something." Michelle points out. The smoke on Ned's ball is red.

"The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten." Ned scratches his head, you look down to the newspaper.

"Hey, Peter, somebody broke into Gringotts, listen,  
Believed to be the work of dark witches or wizards   
unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist that nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. That's odd. That's the vault Bruce and I went to." 

_

That afternoon, outside the castle, you're in flying class. Gryffindor and Slytherin, are lined up in two rows with brooms by their sides. Your teacher, Madam Rogue, comes down the line. She has long red hair with a gray streak and hawk yellow eyes.

"Good afternoon, class." she says.

"Good afternoon, Madam Rogue." the class says in unison. 

"Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say, up!"

"Up!" you shout.

Immediately after you say "Up"!, the broom flies into your hand. You squeal in delite. You can feel Michelle stair at you in discontent, as the class continues; she was having quite a lot of trouble with it.

"Up!" Liz calls, her broomstick flies up next and she smugly grins.

"With feeling!" Madam Rogue says to the class.

"Up. Up. Up. Up." Michelle calls as her broom slowly rises.

"Up!!" Peter yells his broom immediately shoots up and whacks him on the nose. 

You laugh.

"Come on, ______." Peter whines, then starts to laugh after he's recovered.

"Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end." Madam Rogue instructs.

The class mounts on their broomsticks, "When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle...3...2..." She blows the whistle. However, Ned's broomstick somehow lifts him off the ground. He immediately lifts off. He looks quite frightened.

"Mr. Leeds." Madam Rogue calls.

"Ned, what are you doing?" Peter calls.

"Ned...Ned..." all of your classmates chant.

"We're not supposed to take off, yet." another classmate says.

Ned begins soaring away uncontrollably, "M-M-Mr. Leeds! Mr. Leeds!" Madam Rogue calls.

"AHH!" Ned screams.

"Mr. Leeds!" your teacher yells.

"Down! Down! Ahhhh!" Ned yells.

"Ned!" you and Peter scream.

"Help!!!" he immediately skyrockets towards the sky.

"Come back down this instant!" Madam Rogue yells.

He flies uncontrollably in the air and hits a wall, conking along it and then swooping off. All the while, he is screaming. He begins to zoom back towards the group. Madam Rogue quickly holds out her wand to stop him. 

However, everyone quickly stands back as Rogue dives out of the way, allowing Ned to fly right through. Ned goes through the scatter and up a tower. You wince as he zooms past a statue of a man with a sharp spear. Ned's cloak catches on it, he is flipped off the broom and hangs there.

"Oh. Ah...help!" He wavers, then the cloak rips through the spear, and he falls.

"Everyone out of the way!" Madam Rogue says, she runs through the group, and they scatter. "Come on, get up."

"Is he alright?" Peter asks, as Rogue is helping Ned up; he was groaning in pain.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh dear. It's a broken wrist. Tch, tch, tch. Good boy, come on now, up you get." Rogue says, helping him up. Liz reaches down and grabs Ned's Remembrall, which has fallen from him. Rogue begins to lead Ned away with her.

"Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Leeds to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Migards before they can say, Quidditch." 

"Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd have remembered to fall on his fat arse." Liz says, her goons laugh as she holds up the Remembrall.

Peter approaches her, "Give it here, Allen."

"No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Leeds to find." she hops on her broom and soars around group, then through.

"How 'bout up on the roof?" she soars off and hovers several feet above the ground. "What's the matter, Parker? Bit beyond your reach?" Liz laughs, Peter looks down in embarrassment, he wasn't confident enough in his flying.

You finally having enough, get on your broom, Michelle stops you.

"______, no way! You heard what Madam Rogue said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly." She says, You consider what she says but then Liz speaks once again,

"Nice of you to join us, Marvel, already cleaning up Parkers messes are you?" Liz snickers.

You jump in the air right after she finishes speaking, "Give it here, Allen, or I'll knock you off your broom!"

"Is that so?" 

You makes a dash for her, but Liz twirls around her broom in a 360.

"Have it your way, then!" She hurls the Remembrall into the air, like a baseball. You zoom after the ball, speeding towards a tower. Just as it is about to hit a window, you catch it swiftly. 

You begin to fly back down to the ground. Everyone cheers as you land with ease. The group runs to greet you.

"Good job, ______!" One boy shouts.

"Oh, that was wicked, ______." says another.

"______ Marvel?" you hear Professor T'Challa call "Follow me." 

You jump off your broom and sullenly follow him. You hear Liz and her goons snicker in delight.  
_

You and T'Challa arrive outside of Professor Killian's classroom. He is inside, teaching, holding an iguana.

"You wait here." T'Challa instructs you.

He asks for a boy called Matthew Murdock, "Marvel, this is Matthew Murdock. Murdock, I have found you a Seeker!"  
_

You and Peter are walking through crowded halls. Sir Nathan and a lady ghost float by.

"Have you heard? _______ Marvel's the new Gryffindor Seeker. I always knew she'd do well." the ghost says.

"Seeker? But first years never make their house teams! You must be the youngest Quidditch player in..." Peter thinks.

"A century, according to T'Challa." you smile.

The pair of twins that were shouting at the sorting approach you and Peter.

"Hey, well done, _____, Murdock's just told us!" the male one says.

"Pietro and Wanda are on the team, too. Beaters." Peter says. (He must've talked to them during the feast.)

"Our job is to make sure that you don't get bloodied up too bad. Can't make any promises, of course. Rough game, Quidditch." Wanda says.

"Brutal. But no one's died in years. Someone will vanish occasionally..." Pietro continues, they break off from you and Peter, and both walk across the courtyard.

"But they'll turn up in a month or two!" Wanda finishes, finally walking out of sight.

"Oh, go on, ______, Quidditch is great. Best game there is! And you'll be awfully great, too!" Peter says smiling at you

"But I've never even played Quidditch. What if I make a fool of myself?" You worry. Suddenly Michelle appears beside you,

"You won't make a fool of yourself. It's in your blood."  
_

Later, the three of you approach a trophy case. Michelle points at a plaque of Quidditch players. One has your mothers name on it, as a seeker.

"Whoa. ______, you never told me your mother was a Seeker, too." Peter says.

"I-I didn't know."  
_

You, Peter and Michelle are walking up a staircase in the Grand Staircase tower.

"I'm telling you, it's spooky. She knows more about you than you do." Peter whispers to you.

"Who doesn't?" you sigh.

The staircase shudders and begins to move. You grab the railings, Peter grabs your hand.

"Ahh!" Peter shouts.

Michelle gasps.

"What's happening?" You ask, trying to get Peters sweaty hand off yours.

"The staircases change, remember?" Michelle says, the staircase stops, leading to a corridor.

You tap Peter, "Let's go this way."

"Before the staircase moves again." he nods in agreement.

You all open a door and walk into a spooky, dark and deserted corridor.

"Does anyone feel like...we shouldn't be here?" you wonder out loud.

"We're not supposed to be here. This is the 3rd floor. It's forbidden." Michelle shutters.

"Peter can you let go of my hand?" you ask.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry." 

Suddenly, a flame lights on a tall stone support. At that moment, Mr.Lee's cat, comes running in and meows. The group jumps.

"Let's go." you beg.

The cat meows.

"It's Lee's cat!" Peter squeals.

"Run!" 

As the three of you run through the corridor, flames are lit up on the stone supports, one by one. You finally get to the end of the corridor, to a door.

"Quick! Let's hide though that door!" You grab the handle, but it's locked.

"It's locked!"

"Move over!" Peter pushes through and pulls out his wand, aiming it at the lock.

"Alohomora." The door's lock lifts up magically and it opens. "Get in."

"Alohomora?" Michelle asks.

"Standard book of spells, Chapter 7." Peter says.

"No...I know, I'm just surprised you do." Michelle says.

What a bunch of nerds.  
_

"Lee is gone." Michelle says.

"Probably thinks this door's locked." Peter says.

"It was locked." Michelle sneers.

"And for good reason." you say, there is a massively huge three headed dog sleeping in front of you. The dog begins to wake. It growls, yawns, and growls more, suddenly, noticing you.

"AHHHHHHH!" Everyone screams, the three of you bolt, running out of the door. You turn quickly to shut the door and battle against the dog. Moments later you get the door shut and run.  
_

You returned to the Gryffindor Common Room. Everyone is breathless.

"What do they think they're doing?? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school." Peter whines.

"You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Michelle groans.

"I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three!" Peter sneers, Everyone begins to climb the stairs to the dorms.

"It was standing on a trap door. Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something. This is why I should've been in Ravenclaw." Michelle says.

You ignore the last remark, "Guarding something?" 

"That's right. Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed, you should follow _______, before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed... or worse, expelled!" She turns and leaves, leaving open the door for you to the girls dormitory.

"She needs to sort out her priorities!" Peter groans.

You nod in agreement.


	5. Facts and Feathers

Outside in the courtyard, Matthew is unpacking a giant trunk, its filled with strange looking balls, all to play Quidditch with, from what you understand.

"Quidditch is easy enough to understand. Each team has seven players, 3 chasers, 2 beaters, 1 keeper and a seeker. That's you. There are three kinds of balls." he feels around and picks up a red one, "This one's called the Quaffle. Now, the chasers handle the Quaffle and try to put it through one of those three hoops." He points to the hoops in the Quidditch pitch in the distance. "The keeper, that's me, defends the hoops."

"How do you if you're..." you ask, not meaning to offend him.

"How do I see on coming Quaffles when I'm blind? I have great senses Marvel." 

"If you don't mind me asking, how did it happen?" You say apprehensively.

"My father liked to experiment with potions, one day, one of his calutrons got knocked over, whatever he put inside it got onto my face, then my eyes, and then suddenly, I just couldn't see anymore. Well not with my eyes at least, the accident blinded me. It just also, uh, sharpened my other senses." he throws the Quaffle to you. "With me so far?"

You throw it back. "I think so. What are those two squirming chained down ones?" You ask.

"You better take this." Matthew hands you a small bat. He bends down and releases one ball. With an angry growl, it flies off into the air. You watch it carefully.

"Careful now, it's comin' back." Matthew says the balls comes whizzing down, and you crack at it with the bat. The ball soars off through a statue, surprisingly without damaging it.

"Eh, not bad, Marvel, sounds like you'd make a fair beater... Uh-oh." The ball zooms down, and Matthew grabs it, wriggling to get it back in the box. He succeeds and is out of breath.

"You're absolutely amazing Murdock, what is that anyway?" you ask.

"Bludger. Nasty little things. But you are the seeker, and the only thing I want you to worry about is this... the Golden Snitch." he hands you a walnut sized golden ball.

"I like this." you say.

"Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see. You can imagine why I'm not a seeker." he says, referencing his blindness.

"Well, what do I do with it?"

"It's pretty simple, you catch it before the other team's seeker. You catch this, the game is over. You catch this, Marvel, and we practically win."

The ball flutters out two delicate wings and jumps into the air. You keep a close eye on it.  
_

"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation; the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you all have your feathers? Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing, hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone." Professor Pym says.

"The swish and flick." the whole class repeats back.

"Good. And enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then." He nods.

Everyone begin to enunciate and doing the movements on their feathers.

"Wingardrium Leviosa!" Peter waves his wand, and the feather goes up, Michelle does the same. Peter was actually quite good at school, when he paid attention.

You straighten up and swish your wand.

"Wingardium Leviosa." you say, and the feather glows and lifts up.

"Oh, well done! See here, everyone! Ms. Marvel's done it! Oh, splendid!" Professor Pym smiles.

Ned puts his head on his books dejectedly after being the only one in your row now not to get it. Remy begins swishing at his feather.

"Wingard Levosa." Remy says, an almighty explosion flashes. Pym gasps, and you turn to the source of the explosion. You see that Remy is charred again with his feather, now smoldering to ashes.

"I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor." you call.  
_

You, Ned, Peter and Remy are walking through the courtyard; many other students surround you.

"It's Levioooosa, not Leviosaaaar." Peter mocks Michelle. "She's a nightmare, honestly. She was telling all the other students what to do. I'm lucky I payed attention, I can't imagine being bossed around by her all the time...no wonder she hasn't got any friends!" Peter says angrily.

You hit his arm. But its too late, Michelle rushes past the group, hugging her books and sniffling in tears.

"I think she heard you, idiot," you say, you glance around and try to find her, but Michelle has disappeared into the crowd, obviously deeply hurt by Peter's words.  
_

Halloween night, the great hall has floating Jack O'Lanterns in place of the candles. You notice a empty spot on the bench,

"Where's Michelle?"

"Janet Van Dyne said that she wouldn't come out of the girl's bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon, um, crying." Ned tells you.

You glance at Peter with a disapproving look on your face; Peter shrugs. Suddenly, Professor Killian comes running into the Great Hall in panic.

"TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON!!"

Strange rises from his seat in concern. Everyone looks at Killian and he stops and there is utter silence, "...uh, thought you ought to know."

Killian passes out. The room is silent, and then everyone freaks out, screaming and running.

"SILLLLLEEENNNNCEEEEE!" Strange shouts, everyone stops and calms down. "Everyone, please, don't panic. Now, Prefects will lead their houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons."  
_

Your house Prefect, Charles, is leading the house down the corridor, "Gryffindors, keep up please. And stay alert!"

"How could a troll get in?" you ask.

"Not by itself. Trolls are really stupid. Probably people playing jokes." Peter shrugs.

Suddenly, you stop and pull Peter aside.

"What?" he asks dumbly.

"Michelle! She doesn't know!" you whisper.

The two of you separate yourselves from the crowd. You run down multiple corridors. You start running down a hall when you stop, because there is suddenly a loud grunting noise and a large shadow appears on the wall.

"I think the troll's left the dungeon!" Peter says fearfully.

You pull Peter into a doorway, you peer out to see a large, ugly troll as it thunks by into a room.

"It's going into the Girl's Bathroom!" you hiss.  
_

Moments later you and Peter come bursting into the girls bathroom.

"Michelle, move!" you shout. The troll smashes the remaining stalls.

"Help! Help!" she yells.

You and Peter start throwing wood pieces at the troll.

"Hey, pea brain!" Peter throws wood and hits the troll on the head. 

Michelle escapes from the stalls to under a sink, but the troll sees her and goes to smash her. It cracks the sink and barely misses Michelle. You cringe.

You quickly get out your wand. You run forward and grab the troll's club, and get lifted up.

"Whooa! Whoa, whoa!" you shout, you land on the troll's head, and are hurled forward, then back, and your wand shoots up the troll's nose.

You hesitantly stick your hand in the troll's nose. The troll snorts, and whips around. The troll gets you off its head and is holding you by one leg, upside down.

"Do something!" you scream. It gears up its club and swipes at you. You pull yourself up, then down. The troll swipes again.

"What?" Peter yells.

The troll swipes at you some more.

"Anything! Hurry up!" you shriek, boy was this exhausting.

Peter grabs his wand, "Wingardium Leviosa!" 

The club is lifted out of the troll's hand and hovers above its head. The troll looks up, confused, just as the club comes crashing back down.

It hits the troll's head hard and the troll wavers, then drops you, you crawl away, as the troll slowly comes crashing down. Michelle approaches carefully.

"Is it...dead?" she says sourly.

"Uhhh. I don't think so. Just knocked out." you say, you go to grab your wand...which is covered in mucus. "Ew. Troll snot."

You wipe your wand on your robes. Suddenly, T'Challa, Laufeyson and Killian come rushing in. They all gasp at the knocked out troll.

"Oh! Oh, my goodness! E-Explain yourselves, both of you!" T'Challa demands.

"Well, what it is..." you begin.

"It's my fault, Professor T'Challa." Michelle blurts out, you, Peter and the teachers, look at her in utter disbelief.

"Miss Jones?" Professor T'Challa asks.

"I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If ______ and Peter hadn't come and found me...I'd probably be dead." she lies.

"Be that as it may be...it was an extremely foolish thing to do." T'Challa says, You glance at all the teachers, and then notice Professor Laufeysons leg, who had his trousers' leg torn and a large cut right under it. Laufeyson notices you stairing and covers it up, glaring at you. 

"I would have expected more rational behavior on your part, Miss Jones. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment." Professor T'Challa turns to you and Peter, "As for you two I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many students could take on a fully grown mountain troll and live. Five points...will be awarded to each of you." You and Peter grin at each other. "For sheer luck."

Laufeyson and T'Challa leave the bathroom.

"Perhaps you ought to go...M-might wake up...heh." Professor Killian stutters.

You all exit the bathroom. Killian looks at the unconscious troll. The troll growls, seemingly going to wake up. "Ahh! Hehe...." 

What a strange man.  
_

You, Peter and Michelle are walking back to the Gryffindor Common Room through the corridor.

"Good for you to get us out of trouble like that." You smile at Michelle.

"What's with you? I mean, we did save her life." Peter scoffs.

"Mind you, she didn't need saving if you hadn't insulted her." you shrug, Peter looks offended.

Michelle looks at Peter.

"Well. Then uh, what are friends for?" he says, trying to make up.

They both smile at each other as everyone carries on through the corridor.

The next morning, in the great hall. You're sitting, eating. Well you're trying, you were so nervous all you could do was twirl your food on your fork.

"Take a bit of toast, go on." Peter urges you.

"Peter's right, ______. You're gonna need your strength today." Michelle nods.

"I'm not hungry." you mutter. 

Looking up you see that Professor Laufeyson had appeared at the table.

"Good luck today, Marvel. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you...even if it is against Slytherin." he walks off, limping. You notice this.

"That explains the blood." you say under your breath.

"Blood?" Michelle asks.

"Listen, last night, I'm guessing Laufeyson let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that 3 headed dog. But, he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping." you tell the group.

"But why would anyone go near that dog?" Peter asks.

"The day I was at Gringotts, Bruce took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was Midgards' business, very secret." you recall.

"So you're saying..." Michell continues.

"That's what the dog's guarding. That's what Laufeyson wants." 

You hear Hedwigs screech, you look up, she's entering the Great Hall carrying a very large, long parcel. She drops it off at the table.

"Bit early for mail, isn't it?" Michelle asks.

"But I-I never get mail." you stutter.

"Let's open it." Peter begs.

You both tear open the brown wrappings, to reveal, a broomstick!

"It's a broomstick!" you smile.

"Thats not just any broomstick, _____. It's a Vibranium 2000!" Peter tells you.

"But who...?" you wonder.

You look the teachers table and notice Professor T'Challa, stroking Hedwig. He smiles at you and you nod in deep thanks.  
_

Later on, inside the Quidditch tower. The Gryffindor team is marching towards the starting gate. You reach it and stop, behind a closed double door.

"Scared, ______?" Matthew asks.

"A little." you admit.

"That's all right. I felt the same way before my first game." Matthew nods.

"What happened?"

"Er, I don't really remember. I took a bludger to the head 2 minutes in. Woke up in the hospital a week later." He recalls.

"Oh...well uh, that's nice."

You gulp and look straight ahead as the doors open. The team mounts their brooms and zoom out onto the enormous pitch. There is cheering. Peter Quill, the Quidditch commentator is announcing from a tower.

"Hello, and welcome to Midgards first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game Slytherin versus Gryffindor!!!" he shouts into the microphone.

There is lots of cheering.

Your team takes the positions in the air in a circle. You weave in, the highest amongst everyone. You slowly look at the ground. That was a long way down.

"The players take their positions as Madam Rogue steps out onto the field to begin the game." Quill annouces.

"Now, I want a nice clean game...from all of you." Madam Rogue says, she looks at Slytherin, kicks open the ball trunk, and the bludgers zoom out.

"The bludgers are up...followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember, the snitch is worth 150 points. The seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game." Quill yells, much louder than he needs to be.

The snitch zooms around your head, then disappears. Rogue grabs the Quaffle, and releases it.

"The Quaffle is released...and the game begins!" Quill tells the crowd.

Gryffindor takes possession of the ball and your chaser, Gamora Titan, zooms past the Slytherins towards their goal, and throws the ball, and scores! There is a ding.

"Gamora Titan scores! 10 points for Gryffindor! Looking good Gamora!" Quill says flirtatiously, then presses a button and a 10 shows up beside a plaque with Gryffindor's name.

You, in the air, clap.

"Yes!" you shout, when a bludger suddenly zooms by you. 

In the stands, Gryffindor cheers.

"Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle. Drax passes to Captain Maria Hill." 

Maria Hill dodges players and throws for the Gryffindor hoops. Matthew appears and whacks the ball away with his broom. He smirks at Hill, who glares. Gamora and Mantis pass the Quaffle back and forth as they strategize to score. Gamora takes it, throws, and once again scores!

"Another 10 points to Gryffindor!" Quill adds another 10 to the score with a ding. Gryffindors box erupts in cheers.

You can see the Slytherins decide to get messy again. They dodge, kick, and try to score. Once again, Matthew blocks.

"Give me that!" Maria shouts she grabs a beaters bat from one and whacks a bludger right at Matthew. It hits Matthew directly in the stomach and he plummets to the ground, knocked out.

This causes the entire audience to boo; You feel terribly upset as the Slytherins laugh. The Slytherin members head off. One jumps over Wanda and scores. Quill adds 10 points in the plaque with Slytherin's name. You are upset again. Slytherin cheers.

The Slytherin team boxes Gamora in and sends her into the cape covering one of the towers. She falls down in and is out. The crowd boos. Slytherin scores once again. 

Suddenly, you see the Snitch. You start to head off after it and then suddenly your broom starts bucking and turning, "Whoa! Whooa!"

You're knocked and thrown around, then you fall, dangling by one arm from the broom. Moments later the broom stops bucking, and you climb back on. You see the Slytherin seeker is after the Snitch. You take off.

You ram into the Slytherin Seeker, then you get swiftly butted out. You return, smashing the Seeker again as the Snitch dives. 

The Slytherin Seeker backs out, and you pull up your broom as your follow the Snitch, only a few feet above the ground. You stand up, and step forward, trying to grab the Snitch. You go too far, and topple off your broom, and with a yelp you tumble onto the ground. You get up and lurch. The crowd gasps. 

You lurch once more and the Snitch pops out of your mouth. It lands in your hands.

"She's got the Snitch! _______ Marvel receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!" Quill yells madly.

Madam Rogue blows her whistle whilst riding on her broomstick and shouts, "Gryffindor wins!"

The crowd cheers in joy including Gryffindor.

You raise the Snitch into the air and the crowd, and your team cheer.


	6. The Mirror of Erised

"Nonsense. Why would Laufeyson put a curse on _____'s broom?" Bruce asks, walking down the path with you, Michelle, and Peter.

"Who knows. Why was he trying to get past that 3 headed dog on Halloween?" you respond.

"Who told you about Fluffy?" He asks, seriously.

"Fluffy?" Peter sneers.

"That thing has a name?" Michelle asks.

"Well, of course he's got a name. He's mine. I bought him off an Irish man I met down at the pub last year. Then I lent him to Strange to guard the-" Bruce stops.

"Yes?" you say, trying to get more out of him.

"Probably shouldn't of said that. Don't ask any more questions. It's top secret business." Bruce nods.

"But Banner, whatever Fluffy's guarding, Laufeyson's trying to steal it!" you press.

"Professor Laufeyson is a Midgards teacher. He wouldn't" 

"Migards teacher or not, I know a curse when I see one. I've read all about them. You have to keep eye contact. And Laufeyson wasn't blinking." Michelle tells Bruce.

"Exactly." you nod.

Banner sighs, "Now, you listen to me, all three of you. You're meddling in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Strange and   
Norman Osborn." 

"Norman Osborn?" you ask.

"I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that. I should not have said that." Banner shakes his head, and leaves to his hut.

"Norman Osborn...Who's Norman Osborn?" You mutter.

"I don't know. But I will find out." Michelle tells you.  
_

It's Christmas. Inside the great hall, students are leaving and ghosts are singing. You and Peter, are playing chess.

"Knight to E-5." you say.

The piece moves across the board.

Peter thinks for a moment.

"Queen to E-5." he says.

A queen walks over to E-5 and clinks your knight away.

"That's totally barbaric!" you hear Michelle say, you look and there she is, holding her bag.

"That's wizard's chess, I see you've packed." Peter tells her.

"See you haven't." Michelle scoffs back.

"Change of plans. My Aunt decided to go to Romania  
to visit her great-uncle. He's studying dragons   
there!" Peter informs the group.

"Good. You can help _______, then. She's going to go the library for information on Norman Osborn."

"We've looked a hundred times!" Peter groans.

"Not in the restricted section...Happy Christmas." she smiles at both of you, then leaves.

"I think we've had a bad influence on her." Peter mutters.  
_

You were sleeping peacefully, until you heard a shrill voice call you from down stairs, "______, wake up! Come on ______, wake up!" It was Peter Parker.

You get up and run the balcony overlooking the common room, where Peter is standing next to a tree. He is wearing a red and gold sweater with an P on it.

"Happy Christmas, ______."

"Happy Christmas, Peter. What are you wearing?" you ask.

"Oh, May made it for me. Looks like you've got one too!"

"I've got presents?" you only got a pair of socks from your Uncle or Aunt on Christmas, never more than one thing, that's for sure.

"Yeah!" Peter smiles.

"Oh!" you run down the stairs.

"There they are." Peter sits on a couch arm and eats jelly beans as you pick up a silver wrapped package. 

You take out the card.

"Your mother left this in my possession before she died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well." you read.

You open the present. It is a shimmering cloak.

"What is it?" Peter asks.

"Some kind of...cloak." you shrug.

"Well, let's see then. Put it on." Peter instructs you.

You put the cloak on, and all of your body disappears except for your head.

"Whoa!" Peter says in amazement.

"My body's gone!" you gasp.

"I know what that is! That's an invisibility cloak!" Peter points to it.

"I'm invisible??" you ask.

Peter gets up, "They're really rare. I wonder who gave it to you." Peter picks up the card.

You walk over to him, "There was no name. It just said, 'Use it well'..."   
_

It's late at night. You've snuck out of the Gryffindor common room. You hold your lantern and pop it out of your cloak so you can see. You walk through the dark library and into the Restricted Section. Placing the lamp down, you remove your invisibility cloak. 

"Famous fire eaters...15th Century...Fiends...Osborn  
...Norman Osborn...where are you?" you wonder, browsing the books.

You pick up a book and open it. A man's face appears. It screams.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

You slam the book shut and put it back.

"Who's there?!" you hear Lee's voice call, you whip around, grabbing your cloak. The lamp falls and shatters. "I know you're in there. You can't hide!" he says, appearing on your row.

You put on your cloak and creep around Lee. "Who is it? Show yourself!" he says.

You run from the room, breathing heavily. You get into the hall, where Goose is. The cat meows and begins to follow you. You run around a corner, just as Laufeyson and Killian appear. Laufeyson pushes Killian into the wall.

"Loki...I-I thought..." Killian stutters.

"You don't want me as your enemy, Killian." Laufeyson spits, pointing his wand at him.

"W-what do you m-mean?" Killian asks.

"You know perfectly well what I mean." Laufeyson stops, must've sensed something. You stop breathing. He reaches out to grab something, but you move out of the way. He whips his finger back in front of Killian's face. 

"We'll have another chat soon...when you've had time to decide where your loyalties lie." You hear Laufeyson say.

You see a random door, and lunge for the handle. You enter a strange room. It is is a vast, and mostly empty except for a large mirror in the center. You walk over to the mirror and look at the foggy glass. In it, you see two people appear.

"Mum?" you ask, the woman nods and smiles. "Dad?" he nods and smiles as well. You reach out to touch them, but only get the cold mirror. Then, your mother puts her hand on your shoulder. You put your own hand on your shoulder, trying to feel her there.

You climb up to the boys dormitories in your invisibility cloak to wake up Peter.

"Peter!" you whisper, shaking him. "You've really got to see this! Peter! You've got to sees this!" you pull back his covers, Peter wakes up. "Peter come on, get out of bed!"

"Why? Who let you into the boys dorms." Peter groans.

"I let myself in. Now come on, there's something you've got to see. Now, come on!" you pull him up.  
_

You were back in the mirror room with Peter. Ripping off the invisibility cloak, you walk to to mirror.

"Come on. Come. Come look, it's my parents!" you smile.

"I only see me." Peter shrugs.

You move over, "Look in properly. Go on. Stand there."

He looks in for a moment,

"You see them, don't you?" you ask. "Thats my mum." you point.

"That's me. Only, I'm head boy...and I'm holding the  
Quidditch cup. And I'm Quidditch Captain too! I look good." Peter nods and smiles. 

"______, do you think this mirror shows the future?" He asks.

"How can it? Both my parents are dead." you smile sadly.  
_

It's another night.

You are sitting in front of the mirror. Gazing at your parents.

"Back again, _____?" You hear a voice ask. You turn around and stand up, its Headmaster Strange. 

"I see that you, like so many before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised. I trust by now you know what it really does."

You shake your head.

"Let me give you a clue. The happiest man on Earth would look into the mirror would look into the mirror and see only himself, exactly as he is." Strange says.

"So, then it shows us what we want? Whatever we want?" you ask.

"Yes...and no. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desires of our hearts. Now you, who have never known your family, you see them standing beside you. But remember this ______. This mirror gives us neither knowelge or truth. Men have wasted away in front of it, even gone mad. That's why tomorrow it will be moved to a new home, and I must ask you not to go looking for it again." he places a hand on your shoulder, " it does not do to dwell on dreams, _______, and forget to live."

You look back at the mirror, one last time.  
_

It is all snowy. You're out in the main courtyard, bundled up in winter clothes while Hedwig is resting on your arm. 

She lifts off, soaring away into the sky.  
_

In the library. You and Peter are seated, reading.

Michelle comes up witha huge book. She thumps it onto the table.

You jump.

"I had you looking in the wrong section. How could I be so stupid?" she asks. "I checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"This is light?" Peter says, astonished.

Michelle glares, "Of course! Here it is, Norman Osborn is the only known maker of the Arc reactor!" 

"The what?" you and Peter ask in unison.

"Honestly, don't you two read?" Michelle scuffs.

"The Arc Reactor is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It will turn any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life which will make the drinker immortal." Michelle reads.

"Immortal?" Peter says.

"It means you'll never die." Michelle rolls her eyes.

"I know what it means!" Peter says.

"Shh!" you say.

"The only reactor currently in existence belongs to Mr. Norman Osborn, the noted alchemist, who last year celebrated is 665th birthday! That's what Fluffy is guarding on the third-floor. That's what's under the trapdoor...The Arc Reactor!"

_

You, Peter and Michelle are running across the wet groud to Bruce's hut.

You knock on the door and it opens.

"Bruce!" you call.

Bruce, in clad oven mitts and an apron responds, "Oh, hello. Sorry don't wish to berude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today." he closes the door.

"We know about the Arc Reactor!" the three of you shout in unison.

He opens the door.

"Oh." 

You all come into Bruce's small hut.

"We think Laufeyson trying to steal it." you tell him.

"Laufeyson? Geez, _____, you're not still on about him, are you?" Banner asks.

"Banner, we know he's after the Reactor. We just don't know why." you shrug.

"Laufeyson is one of the teachers protecting the Reactor! He's not about to steal it!" Banner says.

"What?" you ask.

"You heard. Right, come on, now. I'm a bit preoccupied today." 

"Wait a minute." you stop. "One of the teachers?"

Michelle, sitting in a large chair, realizes something, "Of course. There are other things defending the Reactor, aren't there? Spells, enchantments."

"That's right. Waste of time, if you ask me." Bruce shrugs.

Michelle looks at Peter, who is being sniffed in the face by Fang, Bruce's dog. Peter shuffles away.

"No one's gonna get past Fluffy. Not a soul knows how. Except for me and Strange. I shouldn't have told you that. I should not have told you that." Bruce groans, a cauldron over a fire begins to rattle.

"Oh!"

Banner hurries over and grabs something.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!" he puts the thing, an egg, on the table.

Everyone crowds around.

"Uh, Banner, what exactly is that?" You ask.

"That? It's a...its um..." Bruce stutters.

"I know what that is! But Bruce, how did you get one?" Peter announces.

"I won it. Off a stranger I met down at a pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid of it, as a matter of fact." Bruce says proudly.

The egg rattles and cracks. Pieces fly off as a a baby dragon emerges. It squeaks and slips on an egg piece. It's quite adorable.

"Is that...a dragon?" Michelle asks.

"That's not just a dragon. That's a Norwegian Ridgeback! My Great-Uncle works with these in Romania." Peter says.

"Isn't he beautiful? Oh. Bless him, look. He knows his dad. Hehe, hello Norbert." the dragon squeaks as it looks at Bruce. 

"Norbert?" you laugh.

"Yeah, well, he's got to have a name, doesn't he?" Bruce smiles.

Peter laughs.

"Don't you, Norbert?" Bruce raises his fingers back and forth across Norberts chin. 

Norbert backs away, hiccups and blows a fireball of fire towards you, "Well...he'll have to be trained a bit, of course." Bruce nods, Norbert hiccups.

"Who's that?" Banner asks, you look out the window, a figure, the person who was spying, scampers away.

"Allen." you spit.

"Oh, dear..."  
_

The three of you are walking back through a corridor back to the common room hoping that you wouldn't spot Liz Allen again.

"Bruce always wanted a dragon. He told me so the the first time I met him." you smile fondly.

"It's crazy. And worse, Allen knows." Peter frowns.

"I don't understand. Is that bad?" you match Peter's frown.

"It's bad." Peter nods.

Everyones stops as T'Challa appears, in his silk pajamas.

"Good evening." he says sternly.

Liz Allen appears smugly beside him.  
_

You were in Professor T'Challa's classroom, standing in front of his desk, while Liz is feet away, smirking. You kinda wanted to hop across the room and choke her but, that wouldn't have been very polite.

"Nothing gives a student the right to walk around the school at night. As punishment for your actions, 50 house points will be taken." T'Challa says sternly.

"50?!" Michelle gasps.

You actually didn't care too much, the house cup was kinda stupid, it was obviously just one big teachers pet competition. Plus, all you got was your house colors displayed at the final feast of the year, and a whole train-rides home of bragging rights. So, you only shrugged.

"Each. And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all four of you will receive detention.'" 

Liz Allen nods, then her smile vanishes.

"Excuse me, Professor. Perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said...the four of us." Liz say with panic in her voice.

"No, you heard me correctly, Ms. Allen. You see, as  
honorable as your intentions were, you too were  
out of bed after hours. You will serve detention with   
your classmates." T'Challa nods.

You, Peter and Michelle grin, Liz sags.  
_

Outside, at night, the four of your are being led to Bruce's hut by Mr. Lee.

"A pity they let the old punishments die.There was a time detention would find you hanging by your   
thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming." Mr. Lee croaks

Liz gulps, and Michelle rushes by.

"You'll be serving detention with Banner tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the dark forest."

Banner appears with a crossbow. He sniffles.

"A sorry lot this, Bruce. Oh, good God, man, you're  
not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?" Mr. Lee complains.

Bruce sniffs and sighs, "Norbert's gone. Strange sent him off to Romania to live in a colony."

You frown.

"Well, that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own   
kind." Michelle says, trying to make him feel better.

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't like Romania?" Bruce whines

Lee rolls his eyes.

"What if the other dragons are mean to him. He's only a baby, after all."

"Oh, for Gods sake, pull yourself together, man. You're going into the forest, after all. Got to haves your wits about you." Lee says creepily.

"The forest? I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there, students aren't allowed. And there are... werewolves!" Liz cries.

"There's more than werewolves in those trees, lass. You can be sure of that." Mr. Lee smirks.

Liz looks quite frightened. Her fear gives you a dark satisfaction.

"Nighty-night." Mr. Lee waves, leaving.

"Right. Let's go." Bruce nods, transforming into Hulk.  
_

In the forest, the group walks along a path to a tree.

Hulk stops, bends down and dips his fingers in a   
silver puddle. He pulls out his fingers and rubs them   
together. A silver trail smears with his fingers.

"Hulk, what's that?" you ask.

"What we're here for. See that, unicorn blood. Found one dead few weeks ago. This ones been hurt by something." Hulk grunts.

You suddenly see large cloaked figure walking   
through the trees. You look at Hulk.

"So, it's our job to find poor beast. Peter, Michelle, with Hulk-" Hulk stops and thinks.

"Okay." Peter says weakly, looking at you. 

You wished you could go with him, you wanted to protect him, because he was your best friend? You guessed.

"And ______, you go with Allen." Hulk finishes.

Liz grimaces, and you nod.

"Okay. Then I get Fang!" Liz says.

"Fine. Just so you know, dog is coward." Hulk shakes his head in disaproval.

Fang whines.  
_

You and Liz are walking through the forest, Fang   
leading.

Liz has the lamp.

"You wait till my father hears about this. This is   
servant's stuff." she whines.

"If I didn't know better, Liz, I'd say you were scared." you say smugly.

"Scared, Marvel?!" she scoffs. There is a howl in the distance.

"Did you hear that? Come on, Fang. Scared." Liz whispers under her breath.  
_

You and Liz approach a flat ground with gnarled roots all over.

Fang stops, then growls.

"What is it, Fang?" you ask. You peer around a tree.

Up ahead, a cloaked figure is crouched over a dead   
unicorn, drinking its blood. The figure raises its head, silver blood dripping from its mouth.

You gasp and grab your scar, which is hurting like never before.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHH!" Liz screams, she runs away with Fang, "HELP!!!!!"

You are left by yourself. The creature, there was no one to rescue you.

The figure slides over the unicorn and rises.

It advances towards you, you back up, but trip over one of the roots, you begin to crawl backwards, you really wanted Peter now.

Suddenly, there is the sound of hoof-beats.

A figure leaps over you and lands near the cloaked   
figure.

It is a silver centaur!

It rears, and the cloaked figure retreats, flying away.

"_______ Marvel, you must leave.You are known   
to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this   
time. Especially for you." the centaur says.

You stand up, "But what was that thing you saved  
me from?" you shutter.

"A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a   
unicorn. Drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep  
you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a   
terrible price.You have slain something so pure that the moment the blood touches your lips, you will  
have a half-life. A cursed life."

"But who would choose such a life?" you wonder.

"Can you think of no one?" the centaur asks.

"Do you mean to say...that that thing that killed the   
unicorn...that was drinking its blood...that was   
Thanos?" you gasp.

"Do you know what is hidden in the school at this  
very moment?" centaur says.

"The Arc Reactor." 

Suddenly, a dog barks. You look up and see a  
detransformed Bruce, Michelle, Peter and Liz.

"______!" Peter calls.

"Hello M'Baku. I see you've met our young   
Ms.Marvel. You alright there, ______?" Bruce asks.

You nod.

"_______ Marvel, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck." M'Baku nods, then leaves.

Peter hugs you, and you take one last look upon the dead unicorn.  
_

Everyone (accept Liz of course) is in the Gryffindor common room after the 'attack'. Everyone is gathered around the fire. 

Michelle and Peter are seated, but you stand.

"You mean, You-Know-Who's out there, right now, in the forest?" Michelle asks.

"Yes but, errr he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see? We had it wrong. Laufeyson doesn't want the reactor for himself, he wants the reactor for Thanos. With the Elixir of Life, Thanos will be strong again...he'll- he'll come back, and kill me." you say weakly.

"We'd never let that happen!" Peter says fiercely.

You sit down.

"But if he comes back, you don't think he'll try to kill you, really?" Michelle asks.

"Honestly, I think if he'd had the chance, he might  
have tried to kill me tonight." you shudder

"And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions   
final!" Peter gulps.

"Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing. Who is the one wizard Thanos always feared?" Michelle asks.

"Strange! As long as Strange's around, you're safe. As long as Strange's around, you can't be touched." Peter answers, he puts a hand on your shoulder.

You smile slightly.  
_

The three of your are walking in the courtyard.

"I've always heard Midgards' end of the year exams   
were frightful, but I found that rather enjoyable." Peter nods.

"Speak for yourself." you say.

"All right there, _____?" he asks.

"My scar. It keeps burning." you whine.

"It's happened before." Michelle shrugs.

"Not like this." you shake your head.

"Perhaps you should see the nurse." Peter suggests.

"I think it's a warning. It means dangers coming." you say.

You rub your scar and then you see Bruce across the  
field, at his hut, "Oh. Of course!"


	7. Magic Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of Year 1

You run for Bruce's hut.

"What is it?" Michelle asks, running alongside you.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Banner wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one?" you say, approaching Bruce, who is playing a tune of his flute.

"I mean how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pockets? Why didn't I see it before? Hey Bruce, who gave you the dragon egg?" you ask.

He stops playing.

"What did he look like?" 

"I don't know. I never saw his face. He kept his hood up." Bruce shrugs.

"The stranger, though, you and he must have talked." you continue.

"Well, he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after. I told him. I said, After Fluffy, a dragons gonna be no problem." he nods.

"And did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Peter asks.

"Well, of course he was interested in Fluffy. How often do you come across a three headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him, the trick with any beast is to know how to calm him. Take Fluffy for example, just play a bit of music and he falls straight asleep."

The three of you gape.

"I shouldn't have told you that." Bruce shakes his head.

The three of you take off.

"Where you going?! Wait!"  
_

The three of you come tearing in Professor T'Challas classroom, running up the aisles between desks.

"We have to see Professor Strange, immediately!" you say.

"I'm afraid Professor Strange is not here. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London." T'Challa says.

"He's gone? Now!! But this is important. Its about...the Arc Reactor." you mutter.

"How do you know?" Professor T'Challa asks, shocked.

"Someone's going to try and steal it." Peter says.

"I don't know how you three found out about the reactor, but I can assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly." he shakes his head, you leave.  
_

After exiting T'Challa's class, you all walk down the  
hallway.

"That was no stranger Bruce met in the village. It was Laufeyson,which means he knows how to get past Fluffy." You say.

"And with Strange gone..." Michelle shakes her head.

Laufeyson suddenly appears behind you, "Good  
afternoon. Now, what would three young Gryffindors  
such as yourselves be doing inside on a day like this?

"Uh...we were just..." Michelle starts.

"You want to be careful. People will think you're-"  
You glare madly at Laufeyson, who looks shocked. "up to something."

He walks away to the Dungeons.

"Now what do we do?" Peter asks.

"Well Peter...we go down the trapdoor. Tonight."  
_

Its Nighttime. In the Gryffindor Common Room. The three of you come down the stairs and begin to walk to the door.

You stop when you hear croaking.

"Trevor." you say in alarm.

"Trevor shh! Go, you shouldn't be here!" Peter shoos his friends frog.

Ned appears from behind a chair, "Neither should you. You're sneaking out again, arent you?" he say convictedly.

"Now, Ned, listen. We were-" Peter starts.

"No! Peter you're my best friend but, I won't let  
you!" he stands, "You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again! I-I'll fight you." he holds out his fists.

"Ned, I'm really, really sorry about this," Peter takes out his wand, "Petrificus Totalus."

Ned is frozen and falls backwards onto the ground.

He puts his wand back.

"You're a little scary sometimes...you know that? Brilliant...but scary, lets go." you say.

When you walk by Ned you mutter sorry.

Michelle looks at his frozen face then says, "It's for your own good, you know."  
_

You, Peter and Michelle are under the Invisibility cloak, sneaking along the corridor. 

"Ow! You stood on my foot!" Michelle whispers at Peter.

You enter the trapdoor room, Fluffy is asleep. In the corner a harp is playing.

You whip off the cloak, "We have to move its paw."

"What?!" Peter says.

"Come on!" you say, grabbing its front paw, which is blocking the door.

"Okay. Push!" You all strain and finally move it.

Peter opens the trapdoor.

"I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign. If something bag happens, get yourselves out...hmm, does it seem a bit...quiet?" you ask.

"The harp. It stopped playing." Michelle says.

Drool from one head comes down on Peter's shoulder.

"Ew! Yuck! Ugh." Peter whines.

All three of you look up and see one of Fluffy's heads standing there, wide awake.

Fluffy barks and growls, thrashing. It breaks the harp and dives at the three of you.

"Jump! Go!" you shout.

You all jump through the trapdoor.

"Ahh!" Peter gasps as he lands on some mushy black vines.

"Whoa. Lucky this plant-thing is here, really." Peter nods.

"Whoa!" you shout, it begins to move towards the two of you.

The plant ties you and Peter up.

"Stop moving, both of you." Michelle yells. "This is Devils Snare. You have to relax. If you don't, it only kill you faster."

"Oh, now I can relax!" Peter says sarcastically.

You manage a smile as you are sucked down below.

"_____!!! Now what am I gonna do!" Peter shouts.

"Just relax!" you yell.

"Do what we say. Trust us." Michelle yells.

Peter still continues yelling.

"He's not relaxing, is he?" Michelle says.

"Apparently not." you shrug.

"Help! Help me!" Peter whines.

"We've got to do something!" you shout.

"I don't know! I really don't pay attention in Herbology!" Michelle admits.

"I remember reading something in Herbology. Um, Devil's Snare, Devil's Scare...Its deadly fun...but will sulk in the sun! That's it! Devils Snare hates sunlight!" you take out your wand and point it upwards, "Lumps Solemn!" a beam of light shoots out.

The Snare shrieks and recoils. Peter falls below.

"Peter, are you okay?!" you ask, helping him up and embracing him.

"Y-yeah."

"Okay. Thank god." you release him.

"Lucky we didn't panic!" Peter sighs.

"Lucky ______ pays attention in Herbology." Michelle smiles.

There is a sound.

"What is that?" Michelle asks.

"I don't know. Sounds like wings." you say, walking towards the sound.

You enter into a room filled with golden flying objects.

"Curious. I've never seen birds like these." Michelle shakes her head.

"They're not birds, they're keys. And I'll bet one of them fits that door." you point.

You come upon a broomstick, suspended in the air.

"What's this all about?" Michelle asks.

"I don't know. Strange." You shrug.

Peter creeps over to the door and takes out his wand.

He rattles the lock, "Alohomora!" he shrugs, "well it was worth a try."

"Ugh! What're we going to do? There must be thousand keys up there!" Michelle complains.

"We're looking for a big old fashioned one. Probably  
rusty like the handle." Peter says.

"There! I see it!" you point, "The one with the broken  
wing!" you look at the broom.

"What's wrong, _____?" Michelle asks.

"It's too simple." you shake your head.

"Oh, go on, ______! If Laufeyson can catch it on that old broomstick, you can! You're the youngest seeker in a century!" Peter smiles.

You nod and grab the broom.

All the keys suddenly go one direction, right at you. You climb on, swiping at them.

"This complicates things a bit!" Peter shouts.

You push off into the air. You fly off, after the key. The other keys follow you.

You quickly grab the rusty, old key.

"Catch the key!" You shout at Michelle.

You zoom by and throw the key to Michelle, who  
catches it and heads for the lock while you distract the other keys.

The door opens, and Peter and Michelle rush through, followed by you.

You all shut the door just as the keys slam up against it.  
_

You enter a dark room, with broken pieces all around it.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all." Michelle mutters.

"Where are we? A graveyard?" you ask.

"This is no graveyard." Peter sighs, "It's a chessboard."

He walks out onto the marble board and flames light, illuminating the board and enormous chess peaces.

You and Michelle come up with him.

"There's the door." you point.

You walk across the board, towards the door. Suddenly, as you reach a lines of pawns, the pawns bring up their swords so you can't leave.

The three of you jump and back up.

"Now what do we do?" Michelle whines.

"It's obvious, isn't it? We've got to play our way across the room. All right. ______, you take the Bishop's square. Michelle, you'll be the Queen's side castle. As a the best player, I'll be a knight." Peter says, you all take your places.

"What happens now?" Michelle asks.

Peter hops on the knights back,"Well, white moves first, and then...we play."

A pawn on the other side moves forward. Peter studies the game.

"Peter, you don't suppose this is going to be like...real wizard's chess, do you?" Michelle asks.

"You there! D-5!" Peter yells, a black pawn moves forward, diagonal to the white pawn.

The white pawn raises its swords and smashes the black one.

The three of you jump.

"Yes, Michelle, I think this is going to be exactly like  
wizard's chess!" Peter yells.

The game continues. Pieces smash each other.

The Queen turns, and smashes a piece.

You, Peter and Michelle wince.

The Queen turns again. Both you and Peter study the  
game.

"Wait a minute." you start.

"You understand right, _____. Once I make my move, the Queen will take me...then you'll be free to check the King." Peter says.

"No, Peter! No!" you shout.

"What is it?" Michelle asks.

"He's going to sacrifice himself!" you cry.

"No, Peter, you can't!" Michelle says.

Peter closes his eyes.

"There must be another way!" you yell.

"Do you guys want to stop Laufeyson or not? ______ its you that has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Michelle, you." Peter looks determined.

You sniffle, but nod.

"Knight...to H-3." Peter says, his horse moves forward, slides and stops.

The Queen turns and advances.

Peter breathes faster, clutching the steel reins.

The Queen stops.

A almighty explosion occurs, Peter goes flying off the  
horse and lands on the floor, unconscious.

"PETER!" you shout.

Michelle starts walking toward him.

"Don't move! Don't forget, we're still playing." you shout.

Michelle moves back.

You walk the diagonal in front of the King.

"Checkmate." you say, the kings sword falls onto the  
ground, victory.

You sigh in relief and then run to Peter. 

"Take care of Peter, Michelle. Then, go to the owlery. Send a message to Strange. Peter's right...I have to go on." you wipe your tears.

"You'll be okay, _____. You're a great witch, you really are." Michelle says.

"Not as good as you." you shrug sheepishly.

Michelle smiles, "Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things, like friendship, and bravery. And _____, just be careful." 

You nod, and walk away.  
_

You walk down a long staircase into an empty room with pillars all around it. The Mirror of Erised is in the middle of the room, and a man is standing before it.

It is...Professor Killian!

You yelp and grab your scar.

"You?" you gasp.

Killian turns around.

"No. It can't be...Laufeyson. He was the one..." you stutter in amazement.

"Yes, he does seem the type, doesn't he? Next to me, who would suspect, p-p-poor stuttering Professor Killian." he cackles.

"But, that day, during the Quidditch Match, Laufeyson tried to kill me." you press.

"No, dear girl. I tried to kill you! And trust me, if Laufeyson's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact I would have succeeded. Even with Laufeyson's little counter-curse." Killian says in disgust.

"Laufeyson was trying to...save me?" you say in disbelief.

"I knew you were a danger right from the off. Especially after Halloween." 

"Th-then you let the troll in." you say.

"Very good Marvel, yes. Laufeyson, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. While everyone else was running to the dungeon,he went to the 3rd floor to head me off. He of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone." Killian turns back to the mirror and your scar begins to hurt again. "But he doesn't understand. I'm never alone. Never. Now...what does this mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself  
holding the reactor. But how do I get it?" Killian mutters then a raspy unnamed voice calls, 

"Use the girl." 

"Come here, Marvel, now!"

You walk forward shakily.

"Tell me. What do you see?" Killian asks.

You look in the mirror. You see yourself.

Your mirror self brings her hand into her pocket and  
takes out a glowing blue object. The Arc Reactor! Your mirror self winks and puts the reactor back.

Very subtly, you reach to yout pocket.

There is a lump. You gasp.

"What is it?! What do you see?!" Killian demands.

"I-I'm shaking hands with Strange. I've won the house cup." you say. 

"She lies." the raspy voice says.

"Tell the truth! What do you see?!" Killian continues.

"Let me speak to her." the raspy voice demands.

"Master, you are not strong enough." Killian tells it.

"I have strength enough for this." Killian unwraps his turban and on the side opposite his face, another face is planted.

It is Thanos' face, it appears to look like the face of a purple snake.

He stretches out and faces you in the mirror, "______ Marvel, we meet again."

"Thanos." you spit.

"Yes. You see what I have become, see what I must do to survive? Live off another. A mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own. But there is something that can. Something, that conveniently enough, lies in your pocket!" Thanos shrieks.

You turn and run.

"Stop her!" Thanos yells, Killian snaps his fingers and fire erupts all around the room.

You are stuck.

"Don't be a fool! Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?!" Thanos says.

You shake your head, "Never!" 

"Haha. Bravery. Your parents had it too. Tell me ______, would you like to see your mother and father again? Together, we can bring them back,"

In the mirror, your parents faces appear.

"All I ask for is something in return." 

You take the reactor from your pocket.

"That's it, _______. There is no good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. Just give me the reactor!" Thanos yells.

Your mother and father vanish.

"You liar!" you shout.

"Kill her!" Killian soars into the air and smashes into you, one hand on your throat. You both fall to the steps.

The reactor falls out of your reach as Killian chokes you. You strain and squeak. Your body burns.

You put your hands on Killians, trying to pry them off your throat. Smoke furls from under your grip.

"Ahh! Ahh!" Killian shrieks and backs up.

His hand starts crumbling into a mountain of black ash.

"What is this magic?" Killian cries, as his hand dissipates.

"Fool! Get the reactor!" Thanos calls.

Killian walks forward, but you put both hands on his face.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Killian backs up, then his face, which is horrendously burned, crumbles as he walks forward.

His whole body is dust. He falls to the floor.

You gasp.

You look at your own hand and hurry over to the reactor.

You pick it up and sigh, when you hear something.  
Turning, you see a dust clouds with Thanos' face. The cloud rushes forward, right through you! You shriek and fall to the ground, unconscious.  
_

You awaken, and sit up. You're in the hospital wing.  
There are cards and candy all over, all for you.

Professor Strange approaches your hospital bed.

"Good afternoon, ______. Ah. Tokens from your admirers?" He picks up a card and places it on your lap.

"Admirers?" you mutter in suprise.

"What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Killian is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows." Strange laughs, you both smile.

"Ah, I see your friend Mr. Parker has saved you the  
trouble of opening your Chocolate Frogs." Strange says.

"Peter was here! Is he all right? What about Michelle?"

"Fine. They're both just fine." Strange reassures you.

"But, what happened to the reactor?" you ask.

"Relax, dear girl. The reactor has been destroyed. My friend Norman and I had a little chat and agreed it was best all around." 

"But Osborn, he'll die, won't he?" you wince.

Strange sits on the bed.

"He has enough Elixir to set his affairs in order. But yes, he will die." 

"How is it I got the reactor, sir? One minute I was staring in the mirror, and the next..." you wonder.

"You see, only a person who wanted to find the reactor but not use it, would be able to get it. That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me thats saying something." Strange winks.

You both smile.

"Does that mean, with the reactor gone, I mean, that  
Thanos can never come back?" you say.

"Ah, I'm afraid there are ways in which he can return. Do you know why Professor Killian couldn't bear to have you touch him?" 

You shake your head.

"It was because of your mother. She sacrificed herself for you, and that kind of act leaves a mark," 

You touch your scar.

"No, no, this kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin."

"What is it?" you ask.

"Love, _____, love." Strange pats your head and stands up.

"Ah. Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. I was most unfortunate in my youth to come across a vomit flavored one, and since I have lost my liking for them. But I think I could be safe with nice toffee...." he takes a brown bean and eats it, "Mm...Alas, Earwax."

You smile.  
_

You approach a room where up on a stairwell balcony Michelle and Peter are talking.

They stop when they see you and lean over the railing.

"All right there, Peter?" you call.

"All right?! What about you!" Peter says, smiling,

You shrug, "All right. Michelle?"

She smiles, "Never better."  
_

In the great hall, all students are seated, and green banners with snakes on them are around the ceiling.

Strange, at the head table, nods to T'Challa.

He dings his glass and the chatter stops. Strange rises.

"Another year gone. And now, as I understand it, the  
house cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus. In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points," Michelle looks very disappointed.

"Third place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points. In second place, Ravenclaw, with 426 points. And in first place, with 472 points, Slytherin House."

There is immense cheering.

"Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin.  
However, recent events must be taken into account. And I have a few last minute points to award." Strange continues. 

You frown. No, he wouldn't...

"To Miss Michelle Jones, for the use of cool intellect when others were in great peril, 50 points."

You pat her and whisper good job.

"Second, to Mr. Peter Parker for the best played game of chess that Midgards had seen these many years...50 points. And third, to Ms.______ Marvel for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house 60 points."

"We're tied with Slytherin!" Michelle says.

You smile.

"And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award 10 points to Ned Leeds." Strange finishes. 

You smile, while immense cheering erupts from the rest of the Gryffindor table.

Ned is unbelieving, and sits there while the cheering gets louder.

Liz Allen is downfallen, which cheers you up a little.

"Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe that a change of direction is in order." Strange claps, The green banners change to Gryffindor red and yellow. "Gryffindor wins the House Cup!" 

All students stand and throw their hats into the air, except Liz, who smashes hers down onto the table.

"Well, there's always next year," you shrug, and join the festivities.  
_

Students are walking around, getting in the train. You hand Hedwig to a train worker, and walk to an open door of the train with Michelle.

Michelle waves to Bruce, who waves back.

"Come on, _____." Michelle calls.

"One minute." you say.

You walk over to Bruce.

"Thought you were leaving without saying good-bye?" Banner asks. Bruce takes a red album out of his coat pocket and hands it to you, "This is for you."

You open the album and see a picture, moving, of you as a baby with your parents.

They are all smiling and waving.

You smile.

"Thanks, Bruce." you shake Bruce's hand, then hug him tightly.

You let go.

"Oh, listen, ______, if that cousin of yours, Hela, gives you any grief, you could always, um, threaten her with a nice pair of ears to go with that tail of hers." Bruce winks.

"But Bruce, we're not allowed to do magic away from Midgards. You know that." you question.

"I do. But your cousin doesn't, does she? Eh? Off you go." Bruce smiles and shoos you off.

You walk away, back to the train door where Michelle and Peter are waiting.

"Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?" Peter asks.

"I'm not going home. Not really." you say, looking back at Midgards.

The train whistles and you climb aboard.

End of Year 1


	8. Nightcrawler’s Warning

"I can't, Hedwig. I'm not allowed to use magic outside of school. Besides, if Uncle Odin-" At the sound of Odin's name, Hedwig squawks again, louder.

"_______ Marvel!" Uncle Odin yells.

"Now you've done it." you frown at your bird.  
_

While Aunt Frigga puts the finishing touches to a pudding of whipped cream and sugared violets, Uncle Odin struggles with Hela's hair bow, all while glowering at you.

"I warned you. If you can't control that stupid bird, it'll have to go." your uncle grumbles

"She's bored. If I could just let her out for an hour or two-" you plead.

"And have you sending secret messages to your freaky little friends? No, sir." 

"But I haven't gotten any messages. From any of my  
friends. Not one." not even Peter, you frown. 

"Who'd want to be friends with you?" Hela snorts.

"I should think you'd be more grateful. We raise you since you were a baby, give you food off our table, even let you have Hela's second bedroom... purely out of the goodness of our hearts." Uncle Odin looks at you disapprovingly.

"I thought she got the second bedroom because Mum was afraid she'd turn us into dung beetles if you put her back in the cupboard under the stairs." Hela asks. Gosh, was she thick in the head.

Aunt Frigga stops cold, exchanges a dark look with Uncle Odin, then sees Hela extending a finger for the pudding.

"Not yet, popkin. That's for when the Von Doom's arrive." 

"Which should be any moment. Now. Let's run through our schedule one more time. Frigga, when the Von Doom's get here, you will be-" Uncle Odin begins.

"In the lounge, waiting to welcome them graciously to our home." Frigga says.

"Good. And Hela?"

"I'll be waiting to open the door." 

"Excellent." he turns to you, "And you?"

"I'll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I don't exist." you say flatly.

"Too right you will. With any luck, this could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career." the doorbell rings, instantly your Uncle shoves you upstairs.  
_

You enter your bedroom, turn and stop dead, a blue creature with bat-like ears, bulging yellow eyes, a long whipping tail like an arrow is jumping on your bed as if it were a trampoline. 

"Ms. Marvel! Such an honor it is!" the creature smiles.

"What...Who are you?" you sputter.

"Nightcrawler, miss. Nightcrawler the house elf."

"I see. Not to be rude or anything, but this isn't a great time for me to have a house-elf in my bedroom." you frown.

"Oh, yes, miss, Nightcrawler understands. It's just that, Nightcrawler has come to tell you... it is difficult, miss...Nightcrawler wonders where to begin." The elf begins.

"Why don't you sit down?" you suggest.

"S-s-sit down?" Suddenly Nightcrawler bursts into tears. Loud tears. You panic.

"Shhhh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or anything-" you cry.

"Offend Nightcrawler! Nightcrawler has heard of your greatness, miss, but never has he been asked to sit down by a witch, like an equal..." Nightcrawler wipes his tears.

"You can't have met many decent wizards then?" you ask, laughing nervously.

Nightcrawler shakes his head, then without warning, he leaps off the bed and starts to bang his head furiously on the floor.

Nightcrawler gets back to his feet, wobbling, eyes spinning dizzily. You regard him with a mixture of concern...and wariness.

"Are you...all right?" you mutter.

"Nightcrawler had to punish himself, miss. Nightcrawler almost spoke ill of his family, miss."

"Your... family?"

"The wizard family Nightcrawler serves, miss. Nightcrawler is bound to serve one family forever. If they ever knew Nightcrawler was here..." 

Nightcrawler shudders in fear, then looks up, he whispers urgently to you, "But Nightcrawler had to come. Nightcrawler has to protect ______ Marvel. To warn her. ______ Marvel must not go back to Midgards School of Witchcraft and  
Wizardry this year."

"Not go back? But... I have to." you say.

"This is a plot. A plot to make most terrible things happen. If ______ Marvel goes back to school she will be in great danger." Nightcrawler says.

"What terrible things? Who's plotting them?" you plead.

Nightcrawler makes a funny choking and gagging noise.

"Okay! I understand. You can't say-" you begin.  
Too late. Nightcrawler grabs the bedside lamp and starts beating himself about the head and yelping loudly.

You wrestle the lamp away from him.

"Stop! Stop!" you beg.

Footsteps thunder on the landing. Quickly, you grab  
Nightcrawler by his tale and pitch him into the wardrobe... just as the door flings open.

"What the devil are you doing up here! You've just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke. One more sound and you'll wish you'd never been born, girl!" Uncle Odin slams the door.

You let Nightcrawler out of the wardrobe.

"See why I've got to go back? I don't belong here. I belong in your world- at Midgards. It's the only place I've got...friends." you say sadly.

"Friends who don't even write to ______ Marvel?" Nightcrawler says.

"Well, I expect they've been- hang on, how do you know my friends haven't been writing me?" you frown.

Guiltily, Nightcrawler takes out a thick stack of letters.

"______ Marvel mustn't be angry with Nightcrawler, he hoped if _____ Marvel thought her friends had forgotten her...______ Marvel might not want to go back to school, miss..." Nightcrawler says, backing away from you.

"Give me those. Now." you plead.

Nightcrawler frowns sadly, then dashes out the door,  
panicking.  
_

You fly desperately after Nightcrawler bouncing like a ping-pong ball down the stairs and into the kitchen.

As You race in, you find Nightcrawler on the counter, waving his arms. Aunt Frigga's masterpiece of a pudding rises, then floats into the living room, hovering over the Von Doom's heads. The Von Doom's don't see, but your famliy, goggle-eyed do.

"Nightcrawler... Please... No..." you whisper fiercely.

"______ Marvel must say she's not going back to school." Nightcrawler says.

"I can't. Midgards is my home." 

You give a tragic expression, but Nightcrawler doesn't waver, "Then Nightcrawler must do it, miss. For ______ Marvel's own good." 

Nightcrawler snaps his fingers. The pudding plummets, straight onto the Von Doom's. They stand blinking, covered head to foot with whipped cream and sugared violets. 

The Von Doom's exit in a rush. Uncle Odin and Aunt Frigga race after them.

"I'm sorry. It's our niece. Very disturbed. Meeting strangers upsets her, so we kept her upstairs." Odin yells, The Von Doom's race out of the house, your family following.  
_

Uncle Odin runs back into the living room, and extends a letter to you, "Go on. Read it."

"Dear Ms. Marvel. We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence at twelve minutes past seven this evening. As you know, underage wizards...are not permitted to perform spells outside school." you read it sadly.

Uncle Odin snatches the letter, "You didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic at home. Slipped your mind, didn't it? Well, I've got news for you, girl. I'm locking you up! And if you try to magic yourself out, they'll expel you! You're never going back to that school! Never!"

You look in your Uncle in astonishment, and can barely hold yourself back from bursting out into tears.  
_

Your Uncle had put bars on your window, everyday looking out was a reminder of your imprisonment. Your Uncle had also been treating you worse than usual and Hela was eating it up. 

She'd taken to the habit of throwing you in your room and locking the many locks on the outside of your door to prevent you from going downstairs to eat. Of course she stopped when you threatened to magic her a pair of hooves to go with that tail of hers, but even she knew you wouldn't do magic outside of school for risk of expulsion.

You found yourself longing for Peter and Michelle's company. Peters a bit more, he was your first and best friend after all. It wasn't that you didn't like Michelle a lot, but hanging around her was more going to the library, and less laughs. The only friend you had now was Hedwig.

You couldn't study magic which made summer homework increasingly hard, Aunt Frigga had tried to lock most of your magic books in the cupboard under the stairs but she couldn't, you enchanted them at the end of the year at Midgards so they'd re-appear on your desk whenever she tried to lock them away. Plus, most of it was stored under the floorboards of your bedroom.  
_

Laying in your bed at night, the day before school is to start, you hear the rumble of a car engine from outside your window, you think nothing of it, but a strange light seemed to get closer, and closer to your window. You look out and a pair of headlights are seemingly flying towards your window. 

The car stops right in front of the window, you hop out of bed and back away. 

The car turns sideways and a head pops out of the drivers window, "Hiya ______."

"Peter! Ned! What are you both doing here!" 

"Rescuing you of course! Now, come on, get your trunk," Peter says, you begin to toss your things inside your trunk hastily, 

"You better stand back." Peter says, hooking something to the bars on your windows. 

Ned pulls the car forward and the bars are pulled of in one swift movement.

Ned turns the car around so the back half of the car faces you and you throw your school things in the trunk of the car. You hear your uncle shriek your name.

You freeze. You can hear him unfastening the many locks on your door. You slam the trunk close and Ned starts to turn the car around again. 

You toss Hedwig into Peter's lap just as you jump out the window, your uncle barrels in.

"Frigga, she's escaping!" he yells.

You jump in and Ned and Peter grab hold, your Uncle however refuses to let go of your foot, dangling out the car.

"I've got you, _____." Peter says.

"Let go of me!" you shout.

"No, girl. You and that stupid pigeon aren't going anywhere!" he shouts.

"Get off!" you yell.

"Drive!" Peter shouts.

Ned pulls off and your uncle finally lets go because his whole body had been pulled out the window, he falls into the shrubs below.

"By the way, ______, happy birthday." Peter smiles as you pull off into the night sky.  
_

"May will never know." Peter smiles plucking a roll from the kitchen table in his house, its a small house out in the country, in the kitchen dishes are magically cleaning themselves and a blanket is knitting itself. 

"It's not much, but it's home." Peter smiles.

"I think it's brilliant." you say hugging him.

"Where have you been?!" a shrill voice calls. You turn, it was Peter's Aunt May, "_______, how wonderful to see you, dear," she turns back to Peter and Ned, "Beds empty. No note. My car gone. You could have died! You could have been seen! Of course, I don't blame you, ______ and Ned."

"They were starving her, May. There were bars on her window." Peter says.

"Well, you best hope I don't put bars on your window, Peter Parker. Come on," She sighs, "time for a bit of breakfast."  
_

You and Ned sit down at the table, and Aunt May sits a huge plate of food down in front of you. 

"Here we are, _____. Now, dig in." says May.

Peter comes down the stairs, shirtless.

"May, have you seen my sweater?" he asks, obviously not seeing everyone about to eat at the table.

"Yes, it was on the couch." May says.

Peter finally notices you and goes scarlet and rushes into the living room.

"What did I do?" you ask Ned.

"He's been talking about you all summer. A bit annoying, really." Ned sighs. 

This makes you go scarlet.

"What a night," May sighs, "Nine raids. Nine!"

"Raids?" you asks. 

Peter slides in the seat on the other side of you, wearing his crimson sweater.

"May works in the Ministry of Magic, in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. She loves Muggles, thinks they're fascinating." 

"Now, ______, you must know all about Muggles?" May asks.

A loud crash sounds on the window next to the table,

"Well, that'll be Errol with the post." May says, "Fetch it will you Ned." 

"Errol. He's always doing that." Peter sighs.

"Look, it's our Midgards letters. They've sent us ______'s as well." Ned says tossing everyone's post to them.

"Strange must know you're here. Doesn't miss a trick, that man." May smiles.

"This won't come cheap." Peter grimaces, looking at the school list. "The spell books alone are very expensive."

"We'll manage. There's only one place we're going to get all of this. Diagon Alley."   
_

"Here we are, ____. You go first." May says.

"But ______'s never traveled by Floo powder before." Peter says.

"Floo powder?" you ask.

"Well then you go first, Peter, so that ______ can see how it's done." May says.

Peter walks into the fire place and picks up a terracotta pot full of ash, he grabs and handful and stands there.

"Diagon Alley." he says and a drops the ash, green flames swallow Peter up, when they go down Peter is gone.

"You see? It's quite easy, dear. Don't be afraid." May helps you into the fireplace. "In you go. That's it. Mind your head. That's right. Now, take your Floo powder. That's it, very good. Now, don't forget to speak very, very clearly." 

You take the power and drop it, "Diagonally." 

The green flames swallow you up.  
_

The sound is deafening as you hurtle forward, squinting against the sting of whirling soot and the mad, flickering lights of passing fireplaces. You fall face forward onto a stone hearth. 

Dizzy and dirty you gaze at your surroundings. You'd tumbled into a wizard's shop, but a decidedly creepy one. You start to exit, when a withered hand in a glass case catches your eye. Oddly transfixed by it all, you drift toward the exit.

Liz Allen and her father, appear beyond the front window, approaching the shop. You glance around to find a place to hide, you spy a large black cabinet and slip inside. 

Liz and her father enter. A stooped man emerges from the back room. In the cabinet, you watch.

"Mr. Toomes! What a pleasure to see you again. If I may, just in today-" the shop owner starts. 

"I'm not buying today. But selling." Liz father says. 

"Selling?" the shop owner asks. 

"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry of Magic is conducting more raids. There are even rumors of a new Muggle Protection Act..." Toomes unravels a roll of parchment, and hands it to the owner. 

"I have a few...ah...items at home that might prove embarrassing if the Ministry were to call. Certain poisons and the like..." Toomes says evilly. 

"Hmmm... yes. I see..." The owner says looking at the list. 

Inside the cabinet, you realize the walls are closing in. Your eyes shift upward. The ceiling is dropping. You try to continue listening intently, 

"Hopefully my daughter will amount to more than a thief, Though if her marks don't pick up-" Toomes says. 

"It's not my fault the teachers have favorites. That Michelle Jones-" Liz spits.

"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizarding family beat you in every exam." Toomes says sourly. 

"It's the same all over. Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere." The owner says. 

"Not with me." Toomes says, laced with venom. 

Inside the cabinet, your knees are up under your chin. The owner checks off the list one last time, then returns the parchment to Toomes. Satisfied, Liz nods. 

"Very good. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow. Come, Elizabeth." They exit. As the owner slips into the back room, the cabinets doors fly open and you leap free. 

Inside, the walls, floor, and ceiling snap shut. The owner reappears, and blinks curiously at you, then watches you race out of the door.   
_

Once outside, you eye a street sign that says 'Knockturn Alley.'

A strange old witch approaches you, holding a tray of human fingernails, 

"Not lost, are you, my dear?" 

"I'm fine, thank you. I was just going...." you begin, more creepy looking people begin the crowd around you.

"Come with us. We'll help you find your way back." they say.

"______?" you hear.

"Hulk!" you say, the people move out of the way.

"What do you think you're doing down here? Come on. You're a mess, _____. Skulking around Knockturn Alley? Don't want anyone to see you in there. People will think you're up to no good." Hulk had since turned into Bruce as you walk into Diagon Alley.

"I was lost, I- Hang on. What were you doing down there then?" you question.

"Me? I was.... I was looking for Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent. They're ruining all the school cabbages." 

You'd finally made it to the outside of Flourish and Blotts.

"_____! Bruce!" a voice calls.

"Hello, Michelle." Bruce says.

"It's so good to see you." you smile, giving her a hug.

"It's great to see you too." she hugs you back.

"What did you do to your watch?" Michelle asks.

"Reparo." she says. The watch glass gets mended.

"I definitely need to remember that one." you smile.

"You'll be all right now then, ______?" Bruce asks.

You nod.

"Right. I'll leave you to it."

"Bye. Thank you." you wave.

"Come on, everyone's been so worried." Michelle takes you into Flourish and Blotts.

"_______. Thank goodness." Peter hugs you.

"We'd hoped you'd only gone one grate too far." May says dusting you off. 

You look to the scene in front of you, 

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Scott Summers. Here he is." A man announces.

A man comes out, he's a only moderately attractive with a pair of pearly white teeth.

"May likes him." Peter chuckles. 

"Make way there, please. Let me by, madam. Thank you. Excuse me, little girl. This is for the Daily Prophet." a man shoves by, a photographer for the Daily Prophet.

The man, Scott Summers, spots you in the crowd.

"It can't be. ______ Marvel?" Scott Summers gasps.

The whispering begins. 

Summers dives forward, and seizes your hand and turns you toward the photographer. 

He talks to you under his breath, "Nice big smile, _____. Together, you and I rate the front page." 

The camera flashes, Scott addresses the crowd, 

"Ladies and gentlemen! What an extraordinary moment this is! When young ______ here stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me -which, incidentally is celebrating its twenty-seventh week atop The Daily Prophet's Bestseller List she had no idea that she would, in fact, be leaving...with my entire collected works...free of charge." He tosses a large stack of books in your arms, you mortified, mutter a thank you.

Slipping free, you drift back into the crowd and, red with embarrassment, drop the books into Peter's cauldron.

"You have these. I'll buy my own-" you stop when Liz appears. 

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Marvel? Famous ______ Marvel. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page." she sneers.

"Leave her alone! She didn't want all that!" Peter says. 

"Look, Marvel. You've got yourself a boyfriend." Liz seems to find this hilarious, Peter goes scarlet.

"Now, now, Elizabeth, play nicely." A voice says, you look over, its Liz's father. No one ever really called Liz 'Elizabeth', not even you.

"Ms. Marvel, Adrian Toomes. We meet at last, forgive me. Your scar is legend. As, of course, is the wizard who gave it to you." Liz's father approaches you.

"Thanos killed my parents. He was nothing more than a murderer." you snap.

"You must be very brave to mention his name. Or very foolish." Toomes grimaces at you.

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." Michelle says matter-of-factly. 

"And you must be Miss Jones. Yes, Elizabeth has told me all about you, as well as Mister Leeds. She told me all about your parents. Muggles, aren't they?" he says glaring towards Ned and Michelle. He turns to Peter, "Let me see. Messy hair, vacant expression... tatty, secondhand book. You must be Mr. Parker." 

Aunt May walks up to the group, "It's mad in here. Lets go outside."

"Well, well, well, May Parker." Adrian smirks.

All of May's warmth disappears, "Adrian." she says stiffly.

"Busy time at the Ministry. All those raids. I hope they're paying you overtime." Adrian clicks his tongue. 

Liz reaches into Peter's cauldron, and removes a very old, battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. 

"Obviously not. Dear me. What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it." Adrian acts as if this is normal civilized conversation. 

"We have a very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Adrian." May says coldly. 

He glares at the Michelle and then her parents in the background, "Clearly. The company you keep, Parker. And I thought your family could sink no lower." 

Peter moves to hit Adrian Toomes. You step forward, and put a firm hand on his shoulder. 

"Ignore him, Pete." you plead. 

He backs away. Adrian Toomes tosses Peter's battered texbook back into his cauldron. 

"Here, boy. Take your book. It's the best your Aunt can give you." Adrian and Liz leave. And Peter hangs his head in shame.


	9. Mandrake Mayhem

You, Peter, Ned and May, push through the crowd at Kings Cross dashing to to the platform as fast as you can.

"Oh dear! The train'll be leaving any moment! All together now!" May says.

Hurrying, everyone races to the column in between platforms nine and ten. 

Ned and Aunt May stride briskly toward the stone barrier that divides the platforms and simply disappear to platform nine and three quarters.

You glance at your watch, "We better hurry."

Peter nods, and leans into his trolley and CRASH! he hits the barrier and bounces back into you, you fall to the ground.

A muggle guard glowers, "What do you two think you're doing?" 

"Sorry. Lost control of the cart." Peter mutters.

"Why can't we get through?" you ask nervously.

"I dunno. The gateway's sealed itself for some reason." Peter shrugs. He presses his ear to the barrier and the train stations clock chimes loudly.

"The train leaves at exactly eleven o'clock. We've missed it." you cry.

"Can't hear a thing...______ if we can't get through, maybe May can't get back." Peter says suddenly.

"Maybe we should go wait by the car." you suggest.

"The car!" Peter exclaims.  
_

"This is mad. We can't drive to Midgards." you exclaim.

"Who says we're driving?" Peter smirks.

"You don't mean- Peter, no." you shake your head.

"Look, who knows when May will get back. And we've got to get to school, don't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's an absolute emergency. Least that's what Peitro Maximoff said." Peter shrugs.

"Since when are we trusting what Peitro Maximoff says?" you sigh, "Something tells me we're going to regret this."   
_

Peter taps his wand on the dash and the car burbles to life. 

"No offense, Peter, but are you sure you know how to fly this?" you ask. 

"No problem." Peter says confidently, Peter shifts. With a great jolt, the car lifts from the ground, 

"There. See. Now I reckon all we have to do is find the Midgards Express and follow it. Simple." 

You nod, not entirely convinced. You peer out the window. Down below, two muggles stare in disbelief. 

"Uh, Peter. I should tell you. Most Muggles aren't accustomed to seeing a flying car." you say. 

"Right." Peter presses a tiny silver button on the dashboard and the car disappears.   
_

The car's engine puffs softly when this car reappears in the sky. You were in Scotland by now, and couldn't help but gaze out the window at the rolling green hills. 

Out of the corner of your eye, Peter jabs at the silver button. 

"Uh oh. The Invisibility Booster must be faulty." Peter grumbles. "Any sign of the train?" 

"There! Up ahead! Look..." you point to a steep, single line of train tracks. 

"Brilliant." Peter shifts, glides down, and sits the car so it levitates only a few feet above the tracks. 

The two of you peer ahead, looking for the train. 

"It must be around here someplace." Peter says. 

The faint whisper of a train whistle sounds in the distance you and Peter smile at one another. 

"Wow, we must be getting close!" Peter exclaims.

The train whistle sounds only this time, much louder,

"Do you hear that?" you ask. 

Then, at precisely the same moment, you and Peter must've registered the direction of the sound, you glance at Peter in fright. You look behind you fearfully and the train is growing huge in the rear window. You and Peter simultaneously scream in horror. 

Peter spins the wheel puts his foot to the gas and- at the last possible second, whips the car out of the train's path. The car wobbles upside down briefly, before tilting onto its side. As it jets under the bridge, you go sliding down across your seat into the door, it slams open and you crash out, but not before grabbing onto the door handle. 

You watch as the Midgards Express zips past. 

"Take my hand!" Peter shouts, attempting to steer and rescue you at the same time. 

You grip Peters hand, eyeing the train steaming far below. It's quite a drop. 

Your fingers begin to lose their grip, you panic. 

"Hold on!" Peter whines. 

"I'm trying! Your hand's all sweaty!" you shout. 

Straining, Peter yanks you inside, and levels off the car. As you fall heavily into your seat, you buckle your safety belt. 

"I think we found the train." you sigh.  
_

The Midgards Castle enters your view. 

"Welcome home, _____." Peter smiles, putting a hand on your shoulder.

You smile at the sight of the castle, when...the car groans.

"Just out of interest, Peter. Have you ever landed a car before?" you mutter nervously. 

"Well...no. but, until a few hours ago, I'd never taken off in one either." he says, laughing slightly. With that, the car lurches, and the nose drops. 

"Uh oh." Peter rakes the gears and the car hurtles madly toward the castle wall. 

"IT'S NOT WORKING!" Peter yells. 

"UP! UP!" you scream. 

Peter shifts desperately. The car lurches up once more and, barely clears the castle wall. You and Peter exchange a look of relief, when the car groans again and then lurches downward.

The car tilts crazily, slides backwards and free-falls   
through the air and lands on some branches. 

"What kind of tree is this?" Peter says in amazement. 

Before you can respond, the tree begins to pummel the car from all sides tossing you and Peter about like popcorn. 

The windows shatter and heavy dents appear on the roof above your heads. The car falls once more, slamming heavily onto the ground. Instantly, the tree's lower branches shoot through the front and rear windscreens and, getting a grip, begin to shake the car back and forth.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" you and Peter scream. 

The tree pitches the car into the air. As the car slams down again, bobbing on its squealing shocks the eninge burbles back to life. You look up, peering through the shattered windscreen,

The willow's branches, as one, rear back, ready for one last punishing blow. You cry out, "Reverse! Reverse!"

Peter shifts, the car shoots backwards, and the willow pummels the tread marked ground you'd just left. 

Safely clear, the doors fly open, the seats tip sideways, and you and Peter are ejected. As you hit the ground, your trunks fly from the back, and Hedwig's cage rocket out of the car and onto the ground, and Hedwig herself flaps into the night. 

Taillights blazing angrily, the battered car speeds off, fishtailing into the Dark Forest. 

"May's going to kill me." Peter cries, falling to his knees. 

You hear a tremendous groan, turn back, and see the Whomping Willow assume its natural form, waiting for its next victim.   
_

Filthy and bruised, you and Peter drag yourselves up the steps. 

"A house elf shows up in my bedroom, we can't get through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, we almost get killed by a tree...clearly someone doesn't want me here this year." 

"Brilliant observation _______." Peter says sarcastically. 

"Well, take a good look, children..." a voice says ominously. 

You stop. Mr. Lee stands at the top of the landing, his cat Goose twitching her tail at his feet, 

"This night might well be the last you spend in this castle."  
_

Laufeyson stands at his desk, newspaper in hand as you stare with dread. Lee lurks in the doorway, eying you and Peter with satisfaction.

"You were seen! By no less then seven Muggles. Do you have any idea how serious this is? You have risked the exposure of our world. Not to mention the damage you inflicted on a Whomping Willow, that has been on these grounds since before you were born!" Laufeyson says sharply. 

"Honestly, Professor Laufeyson, I think it did more damage to us." Peter says seriously. 

"Silence! I assure you, were you in Slytherin and your fate rested with me, the both of you would be on the train home tonight. As it is-" Laufeyson gets cut off by Professor Strange, who just walked into the room, beside him is a distinctly annoyed Professor T'Challa. 

"They are not." Strange says, you turn around to face him. 

"Professor Strange. Professor T'Challa..." you mutter. 

"Headmaster, these children have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry. As such..." Laufeyson continues. 

"I'm well aware of our bylaws, Loki, having written more than a few myself. However, as Head of Gryffindor House it is for Professor T'Challa to determine the appropriate action." Professor Strange nods to T'Challa. 

Peter rises gloomily, "We'll go and get our stuff." 

"What are you talking about, Mr. Parker?" T'Challa asks. 

"Well, you're going to expel us, aren't you?" Peter questions.

Professor T'Challa shakes his head, "Not today, Mr. Parker But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be sending owls to both of your families tonight. And you will each get a detention." 

Laufeyson casts a look of pure venom at you and Peter. 

"Splendid. Now, I suggest we return to the feast. There's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample." Professor Strange smiles delightfully and leads you out.  
_

"I should think you'd count yourself lucky that's all you got." Michelle says, with a sour look on her face. 

"I think you should...mind your own business." Peter snickers, They glare at each other. 

Professor Groot, a tall, stern yet soft looking wizard, enters the green house. He taps his wand on a stack of pots, "Welcome to Greenhouse Three, Second Years. Today, we will be re-potting Mandrakes. Now, who here can tell me the properties of the Mandrake? Yes, Mr. Leeds." 

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is used to return those who have been petrified to their original state. It's also quite dangerous. The Mandrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it." Ned says, the entire table, even the Slytherins are deeply impressed at Neds herbology appitude.

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor. As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet. However, they will knock you out for several hours. That is why I have provided each of you with a pair of earmuffs. If you would then..." Professor Groot motions toward the earmuffs.

When the class is ready, Professor Groot leads everyone the garden area. He grasps one of the tuffy plants before him...and pulls. You gasp. 

Instead of roots, a small, muddy, extremely ugly, baby looking creature, pops out of the earth, leaves growing right out of its head. Michelles eyes roll back, she faints. 

Professor Groot plunges the shrieking creature deep into a pot, and removes his earmuffs, and the others follow suit.

Everyone else seems to now notice Michelle, who lies stretched out on the ground. 

"Hm. Looks as though Ms. Jones neglected her earmuffs." Professor Groot says. 

"No, sir. She's just fainted." You say. 

"Very well. Ms. Marvel, why don't you take her to the hospital wing." Groot shoos you off as you drag Michelle away.  
_

At the Gryffindor table, a now cured Michelle has her nose buried in Scott Summers Travels with Trolls. 

Peter runs gobs of Spellotape over his broken wand, he shakes his head grimly. 

"Say it. I'm doomed." he looks at you sadly. 

"You're doomed." you shrug. 

FLASH! a light blinds you. You blink, and find a small boy standing before you with an old fashioned camera. 

"Hiya, ______. I'm Phil Colson. I'm in Gryffindor too." he smiles at you with wide eyes.

"Hello, Phil. Nice to meet-" you start, he cuts you off, 

"They're for my dad- the pictures. He's a milkman, you know, a Muggle, like all our family's been until me. No one knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till we got my letter from Migards. Everyone just thought I was mental." 

"Imagine that." Peter says sarcastically. 

"Say, _____. D'you think your friend could take a photo of me and you standing together? Ya' know, to prove I've met you?" Phil asks.

You glance at Peter. He looks positively homicidal. Mercifully, just then, owls stream into the Hall. 

"Post is here!" Luke Cage shouts.

One after another, the birds swoop gracefully down, clutching letters from home. All except one, who plops beak-first into Peter's soup. Errol. 

"Bloody bird's a menace- Oh...no." Peter says.

You look at the red envelope in confusion.

"Heads up, everyone. Parker's gotten himself a Howler!" Remy LeBeau yells.

"Go on, Peter. I ignored one from my Gran once...and it was horrible." Luke says. 

Peter looks pale. Clutched in Errol's beak is a damp, blood red envelope. 

Hands shaking, he takes it, opens it, and... Aunt May's voice thunders, sending plates and spoons rattling, 

"PETER PARKER HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! I'M NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME! Oh, and Penni dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor, the family is so proud!" 

Penni Parker a first year (one of Peters distant cousins), who is sitting a bit apart from the others, looks up shyly, then returns to the small black book she's scribbling in. 

Peter watches the envelope rip itself to peaces, and then he endures howls of laughter from the other house tables. 

Phil Colson snaps a few photos. You grab Peters arm and pull him away from all of the laughter.  
_

"Howlers are awful." you sigh, Peter was sitting on one of the couches in the common room. He was messing with a hole the arm.

"Yeah...I guess." he mutters. 

"Oh, Peter." you frown, stand him up and give him a great big hug. This embarrasses him, and his face turns scarlet, but you can feel him relax a little bit. 

"T-thanks." he mutters, as you pat him on the head, and exit through the portrait hole.


	10. Mudblood

Scott Summers paces before the class. Michelle and the other girls seem to hang on his every word, while you and Peter eye the large, covered cage rattling mysteriously on his desk.

"Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher. Me. Scott Summers, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the X-Men Defense League and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award- But I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!" Summers awaits laughter. A few students smile weakly.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books. Well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about. Just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in..." Summers begins to circulate papers. You and Peter examine the questions. 

Peter whispers to you, "Look at these questions. They're all about him."

"What is Scott Summer's favorite color?" you read in disgust. 

"What is Scott Summer's greatest achievement to date?" Peter snickers.

"When is Scott Summer's birthday and what would his ideal gift be?" you mock. You and Peter begin to snicker and crack up, a few girls look at you angrily.

"You have thirty minutes. Start- now!" your professor announces.  
_

Summers rifles through the completed exams.

"Tut, tut. Hardly any of you remembered my favorite color is lilac. But Miss Michelle Jones knew that my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair care potions. Good girl. Miss. Marvel however doesn't seem to share her ambition..." Summers says. You grimace. Michelle beams. 

Summers expression suddenly darkens.

"Now... be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourself facing your own worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here..." With a showman's flair, Summers turns slowly to the cage."I just ask you not to scream. It might provoke them." 

A pale Ned draws back. You and Peter lean forward. Summers lets the tension build, then whips off the cover.

Inside the cage are several electric blue creatures. Eight inches tall, with pointed faces and wings, they rattle the bars and pull bizarre faces at the students.

"Cornish pixies?" Remy laughs.

"Freshly caught Cornish pixies." Summers defends.

Unable to control himself, Remy snorts with laughter.

"Laugh if you will, Mr. LeBeau, but pixies can be devilishly tricky. Let's see what you make of them now!" Summers flings open the cage. 

Instantly, the pixies rocket about, spraying the class with ink bottles, breaking beakers and shredding books. 

Two seize Ned by the ears, lift him into the air, and begin to circle the ceiling.

"Come on now, round them up, round them up. They're only pixies." Summers says brandishing his wand.

"Peskipiski Pesternomi!" he yells. The spell has absolutely no effect. A particularly obnoxious pixie makes a face, seizes his wand and tosses it out the window. Summers joins the stampede to the door.

"I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." He says to you, Peter and Michelle, slamming the door.

You all stand there blinking. Peter swats a pixie gnawing his ear, he grabs his wand and points it to the ceiling, 

"Immobilus!" The pixies freeze in mid-air. Ned falls, and plops onto Summers desk, shaken but unhurt. Ned looks at Peter. 

"Why is it always me?" He whines.   
_

Fresh from the pixies, you, Ned, Peter, and Michelle walk. Hair askew, and your robes shredded. 

"Can you believe him?" Peter grumbles. 

"I'm sure Professor Summers just wanted to give us some hands-on experience." Michelle says seriously. 

"Hands on? Michelle, he didn't have a clue what he was doing!" you scoff.

"Rubbish. Read his books. You'll see all the amazing things he's done." Michelle says earnestly. 

"He says he's done." Ned points out.  
_

The Gryffindor Quidditch team, you, Peitro, Wanda, Riri Williams, Mantis Ego, and Gamora Titan trail Matthew Murdock through the courtyard, toward the distant Quidditch pitch. Several students are outside, studying.

"I spent the summer devising a whole new Quidditch program. We're going to train earlier, harder, and longer!" Murdock says sternly.

Gamora starts squinting, "What the... I don't believe it!" she says.

Crossing the courtyard from the other side is a group of seven in green robes also carrying broomsticks, at there lead is Maria Hill, the oddly pretty, but conniving Slytherin Captain. Peter, sitting at a table with Michelle, looks up.

"Uh-oh. I smell trouble." Ned mutters. 

"Clear out, Hill! I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today." Matthew says angrily. 

"Easy, Murdock. I've got a note." she says, as Matthew snatches the parchment from Maria's hand, Peter and Ned come up to join the others. 

"I, Professor Loki Laufeyson, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker." Matthew looks up, "You've got a new Seeker? Who?"

A girl with tawny skin pushes to the front. It's...Elizabeth. 

"Liz?" you say in astonishment. 

"That's right. And that's not all that's new this year..." she sneers. As one, the seven Slytherins hold out seven brand-new gleaming broomsticks.

The Gryffindors look stunned. 

"Those are Vibranium Two Thousand Ones." Peter says. 

"A generous gift from Liz's father." Maria say, with a twist superiority to her voice.

"That's right, Parker. You see, unlike some, my family can afford to buy the best." Liz smirks, the Slytherin team nod their heads in agreement. 

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on talent." Michelle says. 

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy Mudblood." Liz spits.

Everyone reacts as if Liz has said something horrific. Everyone accept you, who is just puzzled. Instantly, Gamora fly's for Liz's throat. Matthew and the rest of the team holds her back. 

"Save it for the match." Matthew mutters at her. 

"You'll pay for that one, Allen!" Peter whips out his wand, "Eat slugs!" 

Peter points his cracked wand at Liz. 

"Stop!" you shout, and you stand in front of Peter. 

Too late, a bolt of green light scissors out the wrong in and hits Peter in the stomach. As he drops to the grass, you run to him 

"Peter! Say something!" you shout, Peter opens his mouth and...burps. You draw back, and watch a trio of slugs dribble out his mouth. The Slytherins crow with laughter. 

Angrily, you rise and point your wand at the Slytherins, they freeze in fear. 

"Flipendo!" you shout, but Phil Colson had run up and jumped in front of the crowd, instead of the spell hitting Liz or another Slytherin, it hits Phil and he goes flying backwards.

"You shout have gotten out of the way, Phil!" you say, helping him, up he looks dazed but, after dusting him off a little, you turn to Michelle,

"Let's take him to Bruce. He'll know what to do."   
_

Bruce rummages about, looking for something. 

"Got just the thing. Set him down on that chair over there." Bruce says, As Peter sits, Bruce pitches a bucket between his knees. 

You and Michelle glance up questioningly. Bruce shrugs. 

"Better out than in. Who was he trying to curse anyway?" Bruce asks. 

"Liz Allen. She called Michelle, well, I don't know exactly what it means..." you mutter. 

"She called me a Mudblood." Michelle says quietly. 

"She didn't!" Bruce says in astonishment. 

You contort your face in confusion. Michelle glances at you then away, obviously pained by this. 

"It means dirty blood. Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who was Muggle-born. Someone with non-magic parents. Someone...like me. It's not something a person usually hears in civilized conversation." Michelle says sadly. 

"You see, ______. There are some wizards -like the Allen family- who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pureblood." Bruce shutters at the thought. 

"That's horrible." you whisper. 

Peter betches forth a slug, "It's disgusting!" he says angrily. 

Bruce nods his head in agreement, "It's stupid honestly. Dirty blood. There's hardly a wizard today that's not half-blood or less. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out long ago. Besides, they haven't invented a potion or spill Michelle here can't master, Don't think about it, Michelle. Don't you think about it for a minute."  
_

You and Summers work by candlelight at an ornate desk. Bleary-eyed, you're addressing envelopes, while a cheery Summers puts his signature to the stack of glossy wizard-photos bearing his image. 

"______, ______, _______... Can you possibly imagine a better way to serve detention than by helping me answer my fan mail?" he say seriously. 

You force a smile. Yes, for example, reppotting adult mandrakes with no earmuffs. 

"Fame's a fickle friend, ______. Celebrity is as celebrity does. Remember that." Summers says. 

You nod, glancing gloomily at the towering stack of envelopes that remain. Dipping your quill, you start to write, when suddenly a chilly voice fills the room. 

"Come... come to me..." it calls.

"What?" you mummble. 

"I was saying, six solid months at the top of the bestseller list! Broke all records!" Summers boasts. 

"No...not you, that...voice." you say. 

"Voice?" 

"That... voice. Didn't you hear it?" you ask. 

"What are you talking about, _____?" Summers arches his brow, "I think we're getting a bit drowsy. Oh goodness- and no wonder- look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! Dinner's nearly done! If you hurry you might make pudding. Spooky how the time flies when one's having fun!" Summers waves you off. 

"Yeah...Spooky." you say, rolling your eyes.   
_

You pass quickly through the lengthening shadows of the empty corridor, when you hear the cold whisper once more, 

"Blood... I smell blood..." 

You stop cold, looking around for the source of the voice. 

"Let me rip you... let me kill you..." it calls. 

You step to the wall, playing your fingers along the stone, and then begin to walk, slowly at first, then more quickly, following the voice, moving faster and faster, rounding the corner and coming face to face with...Michelle and Peter. 

"_____!" Michelle says in surprise. 

"Did you hear it?" you ask shakliy. 

"Hear what?" Peter asks, looking at you concerningly. 

"That...voice." you mutter. 

"Voice? What voice?" Michelle asks. 

Your eyes dart around, "I heard it first in Summers' office and then again, just-" 

"Kill... Time to kill..." the cold voice says 

You stiffen, Michelle and Peter study you curiously. 

"It's moving. I think it's going to kill!" you shout. You run off, you can hear Peter and Michelle's foot steps follow.  
_

You dash madly, taking the steps three at a time. You make the landing, rush through the archway, and... slide to a stop, listening: Nothing. Slowly, you peer down. Water is oozing over the stone floor, surrounding your shoes. 

Your own reflection appears in the water, and behind in you can see words that have been written on the wall. Peter and Michelle come huffing up behind you. 

"_____, what are you doing?" Peter says, placing a hand on your shoulder. 

You point, shimmering on the wall are the words you saw reflected in water. 

They're red and dripping, they appear to have been written...in blood.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED  
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR... BEWARE. 

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened...?" Michelle reads. 

"What's that? Hanging underneath?" says Peter, he grabs your wrist and pulls you away gently. 

"That's Lee's cat. Goose." you whisper in a terrified sort of way.

The cat hangs stiffly by her tail from a torch bracket, eyes open and blank. Your eyes shift to the adjacent window near the topmost pane, spider scuttle up a silvery thread, fighting to get through a crack in the glass. 

"Look at that. Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" Michelle says curiously. 

Peters grip slides down to your hand as he backs away slowly, "I...don't...like...spiders." 

Suddenly, the stairwell is alive with voices and, seconds later, dozens of students stream forth, chattering... when they stop, seeing the wall and, standing before it, You, Peter and Michelle. 

A thudding silence falls. 

Then Liz pushes forward, eyes the wall, and grins nastily, "Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Liz's eyes find Michelle, just as you reach for your wand to hex Liz, Mr. Lee appears. 

"What's going on here? Go on now! Make way..." Lee stops dead, "Goose!" he turns and grabs the collar of your shirt, "You! You've murdered my cat! I'll kill you! I'll-"

"Stan!" Strange marches forward, trailed by a phalanx of teachers. Seeing the wall, Strange's face darkens. Lee lets go of your collar, 

"Everyone will proceed to their dormitories immediately." he points a finger at you, Peter and Michelle."Everyone except you three."

As the corridor empties, Strange steps to the wall and, with extreme gentleness, removes Goose. 

"She's not dead, Stan. She's been Petrified." Strange says. 

"Precisely! So unlucky I wasn't there. I know the very   
countercurse that could have spared her..." Professor Summers says, everyone rolls their eyes. 

"But how she's been Petrified... I cannot say." Strange says. 

Lee points at you menacingly, "Ask her! It's her that's done it. You saw what she wrote on the wall! Besides, she knows I'm- I'm a Squib." 

"It's not true, sir! I swear! I never touched Goose- And I don't even know what a Squib is." you defend. 

"Rubbish! She saw my Kwikspell letter!" Lee argues. 

"If I might, Headmaster..." The others turn, and watch Laufeyson separate from the shadows. "Perhaps Marvel and her friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time..." 

Could Laufeyson be defending you? You and the others blink. 

"However, the circumstances are suspicious. I, for one, don't recall seeing Marvel at dinner." Laufeyson says, turning back into his usual, mean, self. 

"I'm afraid that's my doing, Loki. You see, ______ was helping me answer my fan mail..." Summers says. 

As Laufeyson's lip curls in disgust, Peter leaps in. 

"That's why Michelle and I went looking for her, Professor we'd just found her when _______ said..." 

Laufeyson raises an eyebrow, "Yes, Mr. Parker?" 

"When I said I wasn't hungry. We were heading back to the Common Room and...found Goose." You lie. 

Laufeyson eyes you coldly, knowing your lying. You look away and find Stange studying you as well. 

"Innocent until proven guilty." Strange nods. 

"My cat has been Petrified! I want to see some punishment!" Lee says angrily. 

Strange looks at everyone darkly, "We will be able to cure her, Stan. As I understand it, Sir Groot has a very healthy growth of Mandrakes. When they have matured, a potion will be made which will revive Goose. In the meantime, I advise caution. To all."  
_

"A Squib's someone who's born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any powers of their own. It's why Lee is trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course. It's also why he hates students so much. He's bitter." Peter says, matter-of-factly. 

Michelle, who had obviously only been half-listening, speaks, "This voice. You said you heard it first in Summer's office?" 

"Yes." you mutter. 

"And did he hear it?" she asks. 

"He said he didn't." 

"Maybe he was lying." Peter shrugs. 

"I hardly think someone with Scott Summer's credentials would lie to one of his students, Peter. Besides, if you recall, we didn't hear anything either." Michelle says.

"You do believe me, don't you?" you say nervously. 

"Of course we do! It's just... it's a bit weird, isn't it? You hear this voice and then...Goose turns up Petrified." Peter says. 

"I can't explain it- it was...scary." you frown, "D'you think I should've told them- Strange and the others, I mean." 

"Are you mad!" Peter shouts. 

"No, ______. Even in the wizarding world, hearing voices isn't a good sign." Michelle says darkly.   
_

T'Challa stands before the class. Resting on the desk in front of everyone, is a different animal. 

"Today, we will be turning animals into water goblets." 

He taps the bird in front of him, three times, with the tip of his wand. It transfigures into a beautiful crystal water goblet. 

"Now, who would like to go first...Mr. Parker?" 

Peter nods. He taps his rat, Nebula, who turns into a goblet with a tail. 

"You must replace that wand, Mr. Parker." T'Challa says. 

Peter nods sheepishly, and looks at his broken wand. 

Professor T'Challa starts to walk away but Peter stops him, "Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets?" 

A hush falls over the class. 

"My subject is Transfiguration, Mr. Parker." T'Challa says. 

"Yes, Professor. But there seems to be very little written about the Chamber of Secrets. For those of us with a interest in the subject, that is...uh disturbing." Peter says. 

T"Challa considers Peter's question for a long moment, then nods. 

"Very well. You all know, of course, that Midgards was founded over a thousand years ago by the four greatest witches and wizard of the age, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Three of the founders co-existed quite harmoniously. One did not. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Midgards. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. In other words, purebloods."  
Unable to sway the others, he decided to leave the school. According to legend, Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in this castle, known as the Chamber of Secrets. Shortly before departing, he sealed it until that time when his own true heir returned to the school. The heir alone would be able to open the Chamber of Secrets and unleash the horror within, and by so doing, purge the school of all those who, in Slytherin's view, were unworthy to study magic." 

"Muggle-borns." Michelle says. 

"Yes. Naturally, the school has been searched many times for such a chamber. It has never been found." T'Challa shrugs. 

"Professor, what exactly does legend tell us lies within the Chamber?" Luke Cage asks. 

"The Chamber is said to be home to something which the heir of Slytherin alone can control. It is said to be home... to a monster."

Peter's eyes shift. And Liz Allen sits calmly, smiling to herself.   
_

You, Michelle, and Peter thread your way through the teeming corridor. Up ahead, Liz walks with Flash Thompson and Betty Brant. 

"Do you think it's true? Do you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?" Michelle asks.

"Yes. Couldn't you tell? T'Challa is worried. All the teachers are." Peter says.

"But if there really is a Chamber of Secrets, and it's really been opened, that means..." You start.

"The Heir of Slytherin has returned to Midgards. The question is, who is it?" Michelle wonders. 

"Let's think. Who do we know who thinks all Muggle-borns are scum." Peter says in mock puzzlement.

Michelle starts eyeing Liz ahead, "If you're talking about her-"

"Of course! You heard her: 'You'll be next, Mudbloods'!" Peter mocks. 

"I heard her. But Elizabeth Allen? The Heir of Slytherin?" Michelle says. 

"Maybe Peter's right, Michelle. I mean, look at her family. All of them have been in Slytherin for centuries." you press. 

"Betty and Flash must know. Maybe we could trick them into telling..." Peter suggests. 

"No. Even they aren't that stupid. But there might be another way. Mind you, it would be difficult. Not to mention we'd be breaking about fifty school rules. And it would be dangerous. Very dangerous." Michelle says darkly. 

"When do we start?" Peter smiles.  
_

In a dark nook, you, Peter and Michelle are huddle round a book entitled Moste Potente Potions. The spotted pages are littered with disturbing illustrations. 

"Here it is: The Polyjuice Potion. Properly brewed, the Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to transform themself temporarily into the physical form of another..." Michelle reads. 

"You mean, if ______ and I drink some of this stuff and we turn into Betty and Flash?" Peter asks. 

Michelle nods her head. 

"Amazing! Liz'll tell us anything!" You smile.

"Exactly. But it's tricky. I've never seen a more complicated potion. Lacewing flies, leeches, flux-weed. And, of course, we'll need a bit of whoever we want to change into too." Michelle tells the group. 

"Hang on now. I'm drinking nothing, and I mean NOTHING, with Betty Brants toenails in it." You say in disgust. 

Peter laughs and turns to Michelle, "How long will it take to make?" 

"A month." Michelle says.

"A month? But if Liz is the heir of Slytherin...she could attack half the Muggle-borns in the school by then." you shutter in fear. 

"You didn't have to tell me that." Michelle says, frowning.


	11. Regrown Bones

You circle high above the pitch, searching for the Golden Snitch. Suddenly, Liz Allen streaks by overhead. 

"All right there, Scarhead?" she sneers. 

You turn, and eye Liz malevolently. You shouldn't make fun of peoples facial disfigurements Liz. 

"______! WATCH OUT!" you hear Wanda Maximoff yell from behind you. 

You wheel around and at the last possible moment, move out of the way of the whistling Bludger. 

CRACK! Wanda swoops down, and bats it away. You turn, and watch it soar away, then breath in relief. 

When you open your eyes, the Bludger is streaking right back at you. Swooping your broom around, you jet off quickly to find the snitch.

You quickly dip and dive looking around, Liz lurks near.

"Training for the ballet, Marvel?" she jabs. 

You glance at her sneering face. Buzzing only inches above her left ear is the Golden Snitch! You charge. 

She looks surprised, then swings clear, and watches you rocket past. 

You chase the plummeting Snitch, and you can feel Liz following in hot pursuit. You race downward, trailing the snitch deep into the trench circling the pitch. 

Shoulder to shoulder with Liz, the two of you race madly, dodging the wooden support beams that crisscross your path. 

You can hear the Bludger bashing into the beams behind you. Liz kicks you, forcing you to the edge of the trench. You brush the wall, battling for control. 

Liz turns, snickers, then looks back and then you watch as she nears a wooden beam. She tries to pull up. Too late. Broom meets beam and Liz spirals out of trench. 

You continue on, closing on the Snitch, fingertips only inches from catching it when the rogue Bludger appears and smashes in your arm, knocking your arm pad off. 

You cry out, and steady yourself, and with a brilliant  
acrobatic move, snatch the snitch out of the air with your good arm. 

Unable to control your broom with your shattered arm, you hit the pitch with a sickening thud. 

Wincing, you roll onto your back, a black dot appears growing rapidly larger, it seems to be coming from the sky, directly toward you. It's- It's the Bludger! 

Instantly, you spin away, grimacing in agony, as the   
Bludger hits the ground like a sledge hammer, violently hitting the pitch again and again, only inches from your body. 

You see a figure stride forth, and it points its wand. 

"Finite Incantatem!" 

The Bludger hangs briefly in the air. Slowly ceases   
spinning and drops heavily to the pitch. You exhale,   
relieved, only to recall the searing pain in your arm.

As concerned faces swim above you one particular face pushes through the others, 

"Not to worry, _____. I'll fix that arm of yours straight away." says Professor Scott Summers. 

"No... no...not you." you mutter in pain.

"Poor girl doesn't know what she's saying. This won't hurt a bit..." Summers twirls his wand, you brace yourself, and...nothing. 

You blink, and look up: the faces which now include Peter, Michelle, Ned and Bruce; look horror stricken.

You look at them confused, then Summers speaks, 

"Ah. Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. The point is, the bones are no longer broken." 

"Broken? She doesn't have any bones at all!" Bruce says. 

You look down in horror, your arm looks like an empty flesh-colored rubber glove.  
_

Peter is standing by your bed with Michelle. He smiles at you hopefully, as you turn your head to watch Madam Khan pour out a steaming liquid from a bottle labeled 'skele-gro.' 

A group of Gryffindors, including some of your teammates, stand nearby. 

"He should have been brought straight to me! I can mend bones in a heartbeat- but growing them back..." Madam Khan says. 

"You will be able to, won't you?" Peter asks, wincing. 

"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful. You're in for a rough night, Marvel. Regrowing bones is nasty business." 

You take the steaming cup and drink. You grimace. It was bitter and tasted like chemicals. 

"Well, what did you expect- pumpkin juice?" Madam Khan says sharply. 

FLASH! You blink, and sees Phil Colson standing there. 

"That was brilliant today, ______! Brilliant!" Phil smiles. 

"Out! All of you! This girl's got thirty-three bones to regrow!" Madam Khan says fiercely.  
_

You fidget in the darkness, half-asleep, then...your eyes slowly flutter open. 

From the shadows that cling to the ceiling, to the   
lattice-work of moonlight that burns softly on the walls around you sense something...a presence.

You lift your five bandaged fingers and take a wet cloth and start to rub your head. 

Suddenly you bolt upright, "Nightcrawler!" 

"______ Marvel came back to school. Nightcrawler warned her. ______ Marvel should have listened to Nightcrawler. ______ Marvel should have gone back home when she missed the train." He says sternly. 

You push the cloth away, "It was you! You stopped the barrier from letting Peter and me through!" 

"Indeed yes indeed miss. Nightcrawler hid and watched for ______ Marvel and sealed the gateway." Nightcrawler says hesitantly. 

"You nearly got Peter and me expelled!" you say angrily. 

"At least you would be away from here. Miss Marvel must go home! Nightcrawler thought his Bludger would be enough to make Miss Marvel see-" 

"Your Bludger? You made that Bludger chase after me?"

"Nightcrawler feels most aggrieved, miss." he wagles his blue, bandaged fingers, "Nightcrawler had to iron his hands..." 

"You'd better clear off before my bones come back, Nightcrawler, or I might strangle you!" you say forcing your hands to your lap. 

He smiles weakly, "Nightcrawler is used to death threats, miss. Nightcrawler gets them five times a day at home." 

You sigh, "I don't suppose you could tell me why you're trying to kill me?" 

"Not kill you, miss, never kill you! Nightcrawler  
remembers how it was before ______ Marvel triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. We house elves were treated like vermin, miss. Of course, Nightcrawler is still treated like vermin..." Nightcrawler honks his nose on the filthy red jacket he wears. 

"Why do you wear that thing, Nightcrawler?" 

"This, miss? 'Tis a mark of the house elf's enslavement. Nightcrawler can only be freed if his master presents him with clothes. The family is careful not to pass Nightcrawler so much as a sock, miss, for then he would be free to leave their house forever." Nightcrawlers pointed ears quiver, footsteps sound near the door of the hospital wing. 

"Terrible things are about to happen at Midgards! ______ Marvel must not stay here now that history is to repeat itself!" Nightcrawler whispers. 

"Repeat itself? You mean, this has happened before?" you say in surprise. 

Nightcrawler seizes the Skele-Gro bottle, and beats himself about the head. 

"Tell me? When did this happen before? Who's doing it now?" you beg.

"Cannot say, miss. Nightcrawler just wants Miss Marvel to be safe." Nightcrawler whispers. 

"Who is it? No, please! Tell me!" 

CRACK! Nightcrawler is gone. Shadows flicker beyond the curtain encircling your bed. You instantly slump down and peer through a slit in the curtains. 

Professor Strange, in a night cap, and T'Challa, in an long African robe, heave a...small statue? Onto an empty bed. Seconds later, Madam Khan bustles in. 

"What's happened?" Madam Khan says with fear in her voice. 

"There's been another attack." Strange says somberly. 

Madam Khan gasps. That's when you realize, It is not a statue lying there. It's...Phil Colson! Camera still clutched to his eye. 

"Perhaps he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" T'Challa questions. 

Strange opens the camera. A jet of sparks fly forward. 

"What does this mean, Stephen?" T'Challa asks. 

"It means our students are in great danger. Mr. Colson was fortunate. If not for this..." Strange holds up the camera, "He would surely be dead."

"What shall I tell the staff, Stephen?" T'Challa says.

"Tell them...the truth. Tell them Midgards is no longer safe. Tell them it's as we feared. The Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again"  
_

It really is a gloomy place, you think, the cracked mirrors, chipped sinks, guttering candles.

You and Peter huddle over a small, bubbling cauldron as Michelle adds odd ingredients. Its too bad you couldn't ask Ned for help, well because he wouldn't approve, he was quite brilliant at potions.

"Again? You mean, the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Michelle asks. 

"Of course! Don't you see? Adrian Toomes must've opened it when he was at school here, and now he's told Liz how to do it." Peter says. 

"Maybe. We'll have to wait for the Polyjuice Potion to know for sure." Michelle says. 

"Enlighten me. Why are we brewing this potion in broad daylight, in the middle of the girl's bathroom? Don't you think we'll get in trouble?" Peter asks. 

"Never. No one over comes in here." Michelle says shaking her head. 

"Why?" you ask. 

"Screaming Starr. You know, the ghost of Ava Starr." 

"Who's Ava Starr?" Peter says scrunching up his face. 

There is a loud, piercing screach, and a transparent body comes out of the wall next to you. She is face to face with Peter. 

"I'm Screaming Starr. I wouldn't expect you to know me. Who would ever talk about fat, ugly, annoying, sulking, moping Ava?" Ava sobs loudly, and dives head first into the toilet. 

"She's a little sensitive." Michelle frowns.  
_

DUELING CLUB! First Meeting Tonight. 

You read, turning away from the message board, you see a golden stage has been erected. Professor Summers struts atop it. 

"Gather round! Gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent. In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Strange has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club, to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions- for full details, see my published works." Summers smiles.

You roll your eyes, the boy next to you turns as if to speak to you, "That Summers' something, isn't he? Awfully brave man." he offers his hand, "James Rupert. But you can call me Rhodey if you'd like. I'm in Hufflepuff."

"Nice to meet you. I'm-" you start.

"I know who you are. We all do. Even us Muggle-borns." Rhodey grins agreeably, looks back to the stage, where Professor Laufeyson has joined Summers.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Laufeyson. He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear!" Summers brags.

"What's the fun in that?" Peter laughs.

Summers and Laufeyson face each other and bow. They turn, walk ten paces, then spin, wands poised like swords.

"As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course." Summers nods cheerfully.

You eye Laufeyson, "I wouldn't bet on that." 

"One-two-three-" Summers counts, 

"Expelliarmus!" Laufeyson says sharply, A dazzling flash of scarlet light bursts forth and blasts Summers his feet and into the wall behind.

Michelle gasps, "Do you think he's all right?"

"Who cares?" you and Peter say in unison.

Summers begins rising unsteadily, "Well, there you have it. That was a Disarming Charm. As you see, I've lost my wand." 

Michelle returns his wand to him, "Ah, thank you, Miss Jones. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Laufeyson, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy..." Summers chuckles.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Laufeyson says sharply.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Laufeysom. Let's have a volunteer pair. Marvel, Parker, how about you?" Summers asks.

"Parker's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Marvel to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house. Miss. Allen, perhaps?" Laufeyson says.

You and Liz eye each other malevolently as you both take your places onstage. Grudgingly, you bow to Liz.

"Scared, Marvel?" Liz sneers.

"You wish." you say confidently.

You turn, walk ten paces, then whirl around, your wand poised.

"Wands at the ready! When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent- only to disarm. We don't want any accidents. One, two-" Summers counts.

Liz fires early, knocking you off your feet with a blast of white light. You jump back up and point your wand, 

"Rictusempra!"

A jet of silver light hits Liz dead in the stomach. She doubles up, wheezing.

"I said disarm only!" Summers yells.

"Serpensortia!" Liz says, 

To your horror, the tip of Liz's wand explodes and a long black snake slithers forth. Laufeyson smiles with amusement.

"Don't move, Marvel. I'll get rid of it for you." Laufeyson say in a amused tone.

"Allow me!" Summers says, he flicks his wand. BANG! The snake flies into the air, hisses in rage, and slithers straight towards Rhodey. As students scream, you, suddenly calm, approach the snake. 

It rises, fangs exposed, poised to strike Rhodey.

"Leave him!" you say. The snake looks into your eyes, then turns for Rhodey.

"LEAVE HIM!" you shout.

The snake hovers a moment more, then- miraculously slumps to the floor. You blink slowly, as if coming out of a trance, and smile curiously at the snake, and offer your hand to Rhodey.

"What are you playing at?" Rhodey spits, seemingly terrified, he backs away. 

You look around, confused. Liz Allen looks shocked. Remy and Ned's eyes glitter with fear. Penni Parker (Peters cousin) leaves the room.

Laufeyson waves his wand and the snake vanishes in puff of black smoke then regards you with a look that is both shrewd and calculating.

Peter takes your hand, "Come on. Move. Now."  
_

Peter and Michelle usher you inside. You glance up for a brief moment, and see Penni Parker staring down at you from the top of the stairs. As your eyes meet, she turns for the girls' dormitory.

"You're a Parselmouth! Why didn't you tell us?" Peter says in amazement.

"I'm a what?" you say shaking your head in confusion.

"You can talk to snakes." Michelle says.

"I know. I mean, I accidentally set a python on my cousin Hela at the zoo once. But so what? I bet loads of people here can do it." you shrug.

"No. They can't. It's not a very common gift, ______. This is bad." Peter says.

"What's bad? If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Rhodey-"

"Oh, that's what you said to it." Michelle says.

"You were there! You heard me!" you say looking at the two of them.

"Well I heard you speaking Parseltongue. Snake language." Michelle says.

"I spoke a different language? But I didn't realize- how can I speak a language without knowing I can?" you say with frustration.

"I don't know, ______. But it sounded like you were egging the snake on or something. It was...creepy." Michelle shutters.

As Gryffindors stream into the room, they eye you warily. Even Remy, Ned, and Luke Cage walk by without a word.

"_______, hear me out. There's a reason the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent. Slytherin was a Parselmouth. He could talk to snakes too."

"I bet now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great granddaughter or something." Peter says.

"But I'm not. I... can't be." you say in denial.

"He lived a thousand years ago. For all we know... you could be." Michelle frowns.


	12. Liz’s Secrets

The three of you are busy studying. You, burdened by dark thoughts, look up at Peter to let your mind relax for a moment. Something about him, just when you looked at him really close, made your mind go completely blank.

Moments later he looks up and smiles at you, then, seconds later, Michelle does the same- something forced about it all. You frown, despite not wanting to leave Peter and Michelle alone together (another strange feeling you'd been having recently.) 

You find yourself unable to bear this treatment; espesially from your best friends, any longer. You gather your books and get up from the table. 

"Er- uh where you going?" Peter asks.

Looking at him and Michelle sitting side by side alone together suddenly made you very angry at the both of them, "None of your business." you say sternly, and walk away.  
_

As you walk, students glance up, and meet your gaze, then look away. Even the librarian eyes you from her desk.

You glance breifly to the side, there sits Pepper Potts, she was looking rather tired and pale recently, and she was constantly scribbling furiously in a small book. It must've been her diary or something.

You exit, and walk into the hallway and pause. From inside a room, you can hear the voices of a group of Hufflepuffs.

"So, anyway, I told Rhodey to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if Marvels marked him down as her next victim, it's best he keep a low profile for a while." a male voice says with a slight edge.

"But why would she want to attack Rhodey?" A female voice responds.

"Rhodey let it slip to Marvel that he was Muggle-born." the male voice says in hushed tones.

"And you definitely think Marvel's the Heir of Slytherin?" a female voice asks.

"Hannah, she's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a dark witch. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue." he pauses and begins whispering even lower and darkly, "Remember what was written on the wall: Enemies of the Heir Beware. Marvel had some sort of run-inwith Lee. Next thing we know, Lee's cat's attacked. That first-year Phil had been annoying Marvel. Then Phil got attacked." 

"She always seems so nice, though. And, after all, she is the one who made You-Know-Who disappear." Hannah says.

"That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill her in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him." the male voice snickers.

You didn't need to hear anymore. You wipe the tears from your cheeks and slip away quietly.  
_

You storm straight into Bruce, who stands covered in snow, and has a dead rooster dangling from his hand.

"All right there ______?" Bruce asks.

"Banner...what're you doing here?" you mutter trying not to wobble your voice.

He holds up the rooster. "Second one killed this term. I think it's either foxes or a Blood-Sucking Bugbear. I need Strange's permission to put a charm around the hen-coop. You sure you're all right, ______? Your eyes are all red and you look a bit bothered."

"It's nothing. I'd better get going. I've got a lot of...err, studying..."  
_

You enter the castle slowly. Up ahead, in the light of a torch a dark figure lies. A window rattles in the wind and the torch lighting the hall goes out, you step a bit closer to the figure lying on the ground, it's- Rhodey.

Lying rigid on the floor, a look of shock on his frozen face. Kneeling, you notice a trail of spiders scuttling away from Rhodey's body and out the loose window-pane... when suddenly...you sense someone watching you, you wheel around: T'Challa.

"Professor! I swear I didn't-" 

"This is out of my hands, Marvel. Mr. Lee, will you take care of this, please?" 

Your eyes shift. Lee lurks in the shadows beyond T'Challa. He steps forward, and hisses quietly.

"Caught in the act. I'll have you out this time, Marvel. Mark my words..." 

As T'Challa leads you away, you look back breifly. Lee stares at Rhodey, then turns to face you.

"Dark magic. That's what you've got, Marvel. Even the air you breathe comes out poison. You're evil. Evil as they come..." he gives you a nasty look. You remind yourself to cry about this later.  
_

T'Challa marches you down to an ugly stone gargoyle. It reminds you a bit of Liz.

"Sherbert lemon." T'Challa says.

The Gargoyle springs to life, its wings opening.

"Professor Strange will be waiting for you." T'Challa ushers you inside. The gargoyle is like an elevator. Its wings close. You begin to rise to an upper floor.  
_

You step out of the Gargoyle's embrace and enter a  
large, circular room. Odd silver instruments whir quietly. On a nearby shelf, the sorting hat sits. 

You cast an eye on the paintings of the past headmasters lined around the room. They were snoozing peacefully

You carefully approach the Sorting Hat, quickly glance around and then place it atop your head, 

"Bee in your bonnet, Marvel?" the hat grumbles.

"Well, you see, I was wondering..." you begin.

"If I put you in the right house? Yes... you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said last year... you would have done well in Slytherin." the hat say nonchalantly.

You strip the hat off, and toss it back onto the shelf.

"I think you're wrong." 

The hat sits motionless. Silent. Hearing a gagging sound, you wheel around and find an old, wrinkly bird. Sitting on a golden perch. It wobbles, then bursts into flames.

You look at the poor pile of ash in horror. You suddenly hear Stranges footsteps from behind you.

"Professor, your bird... I couldn't do anything... He just caught fire." you mutter sadly.

"About time too. He's been looking dreadful for days. Pity you had to see him on a Burning Day. He's really very handsome most of the time." he glances at you and must've noticed your odd expression, "Fawkes is a phoenix, ______. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes."

You look to the floor. The ashes swirl. A baby Fawkes pokes out his wrinkled head, blinking through the dust.

"Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets." Strange says, smiling.

Just then, Bruce burst through the doors. "It wasn't ______, Professor Strange!"

"Bruce-" Strange starts.

"I was talking to her just before that kid was found. It cannot have been her!" 

"Bruce-" 

"I'll swear to it in front of the Ministry of Magic-" Bruces skin starts to bubble green.

"BRUCE! I do not think that _______ has attacked anyone." Strange says.

"Oh. Right. I'll wait outside then." Bruce says looking down.

As Bruce exits, you look up hopefully at Strange.

"You don't think it was me, Professor?" you say with relief.

"No, _______. But I must ask you... is there anything you'd like to tell me. Anything at all?" 

Strange pauses and waits. You debate your options for a second and then, finally...

"No, Professor. Nothing at all."  
_

Students drift into the snow with their trunks, heading home for holiday.

"Make way for the Heir of Slytherin! Seriously evil witch coming through!" Pietro Maximoff says.

"That's not funny mate." Peter says grabbing your arm protectively.

You frown at Pietro, and slightly reach for your wand. To...hex him perhaps? 

Peter sees you, "Oh, c'mon, _____. I know Pietro's annoying but, he's just having a laugh."

"He's the only one." You growl angrily.

"Okay, so half the school thinks you're nipping off to the Chamber of Secrets every night. Who cares? Not us, we know your innocent." Michelle says.

"Maybe they're right." You mutter.

"______!" Peter says reproachfully.

You screw up your voice in frustration, "I didn't know I could speak Parseltongue. What else don't I know about myself? Maybe you can do something... even something horrible...and not know you did it."

"You don't believe that,_____, I know you don't." Peter says, putting a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"And if it makes you feel better, I just heard Liz is staying over for holiday, too." Michelle says.

"Why would that make anyone feel better?" Peter asks. 

"Because, in a few days, the Polyjuice Potion will be ready. In a few days...we may truly know who is the Heir of Slytherin." Michelle says darkly.  
_

It's the Christmas Feast. The Hall glimmers grandly as snowflakes tumble from the ceiling. You sit next to Peter and Michelle sits in front of you. Peter, who swears he saw a gaggle of spiders in the boys dormitories earlier, insisted on holding your hand for the duration of the feast, for protection, he said.

"Everything's set. We just need a bit of who you're changing into." Michelle says.

"Betty and Flash." You whine.

"And we also need to make sure that the real Betty and Flash can't burst in on us while we're interrogating Liz." Peter says.

Michelle holds up a pair of small cakes. "I've got it all worked out. I had Ned make a simple Sleeping Draught and I put them in the cakes. I didn't tell him what it was for, luckily it was simple, so he didn't get too suspicious." 

Peter glances at Liz, Betty, and Flash, who presently are eating everything in front of them.

"You know how greedy Betty and Flash are. They won't leave the Christmas Feast until every last drop of trifle is gone." Michelle chuckles, "Now, once they're asleep, hide them in a broom cupboard and pull out a few of their hairs." 

"And whose hair will you be ripping out?" You laugh. 

"Matter of fact, I've already got mine." She takes a vile out of her cloak, inside is a group of blonde hairs, "Emma Frost. She's in Slytherin. I got this off her robes." 

Michelle rises, "all right then...I'm going to check on the Polyjuice Potion." She points to the cakes in front of her, "and just remember, make sure Betty and Flash can find these." Michelle briefly glances at you and Peter holding hands, and then trots off.

Peter sighs and grips your hand tighter, "Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?"  
_

You and Peter lurk behind a suit of armor, Peter taps your shoulder and you see Betty and Flash exit the the Great Hall.

Of course Flash spies the cakes instantly, perched  
one of the banisters. Grabbing them, he surrenders one to Betty and, in unison, the shove them into their mouths. They pause, wobble for a moment and then fall straight onto their backs.

You and Peter dash out, and drag Betty and Flash across the floor and into a one of the the broom cupboards.  
_

Michelle, wearing a Slytherin robe, hovers over a smoking cauldron as you enter with Peter.

"Did you get it?" She asks.

You both hold up your hands, In each: a tuff of hair. Michelle points to a pair of Slytherin robes,

"I snuck those out of the laundry." She mumbles.

You nod, then glance at the cauldron. The potion looks like a thick, dark, bubbling mud.

Michelle sighs, "I'm sure I've done everything right. I poured over the library and Ned's potion books for hours. It looks like the book said it should. Once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly one hour before we change back into ourselves." 

"Now what?" You ask.

"We separate it into three glasses and...add the hairs." Michelle says in disgust.

You grimace, and slip in the stall to change your robes.  
_

Michelle pours the potion into three glasses, you add the hairs then raise the glass slowly before downing it in two gulps.

"Ugh. Essence of Flash..." Peter swallows grimly and then doubles over. "Think I'm gonna be sick..."  
He runs into a stall. 

You also feel very sick, and step to check your reflection in one of the cracked mirrors.

In the mirror watch your face contort into the thin features of Betty Brant, long, thin blonde hair sprouts from your head, your nose thins, your cheeks look much less full and your skin turns dingy and pale. How was it that she was so greedy when it came to food, yet she never seemed to gain a pound?

Peter emerges from his stall, a dead ringer for Flash Thompson.

"______?" Peters voice calls out from Flash's body.

"Peter?" You say in amazement.

"We still sound like ourselves. You need to sound more like Flash." You say.

Peter begins to adjusts his voice, "I am the most dim witted kid in school." 

"More lax, and a bit higher." You laugh.

"I'm the most dim witted kid in school." Peter says relaxing his voice.

"Less intelligent." You waver.

"I'm extremely stupid." Peter says in a cave-man like voice.

"Excellent." You nod, then glance around, "Hey, where's Michelle?" 

Michelle speaks from one of the stalls, "I- I don't think I'm going. Just go on without me." 

"Michelle, are you okay?" You ask kindly. 

"Just go! You're wasting time!”

You and Peter hurry down the staircase to the Slytherin common room.

"Don't swing your arms like that. Betty holds them sort of stiff," Peter says, you go rigid and walk in a very robotic way. "Yeah. That's better."  
_

You dart around quickly, when suddenly you hear a set of footsteps sound. Seconds later, Charles Xavier (the Gryffindor prefect!) appears at the end of the corridor.

"What are you doing here?" Peters voice says, coming out of Flash's body.

Charles squints, confused by Peters voice coming out of Flash's body. You elbow him, he then clears his throat and speaks in a higher voice.

"What're your names again?" Charles asks.

Suddenly a voice comes from behind and answers for you, "Betty. Flash. Where have you been? Pigging out in the Great Hall all this time?" It was Liz.

You nod afraid to speak.

Charles squints again.

"What are you doing here?" Peter asks him.

"I happen to be a prefect. You, on the other hand, have no business wandering the corridors at night.  
It's not safe these days." Charles says, Liz walks slowly toward him, glancing witheringly at Charles.

"And what are you doing down here, Xavier?"

"Mind your attitude, Allen. You want to show a little bit more respect to a school Prefect!" Charles says pompously.

"Come on, Xavier thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's hair single-handed." smirks Liz.  
_

You and Peter trail Liz inside the Slytherin common room, you swallow hard and glance around warily.

"Listen to this..." Liz grabs The Daily Prophet, and begins to read the front page.

"May Parker, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car. 'Parker has brought the Ministry into disrepute', said Adrien Toomes, a governor of Midgard's. 'She is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and her ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately.' " Grinning, Liz peers over top the paper at you and Peter.

Peter growls.

"If May Parker loves Muggle so much she should snap her wand in half and go join them. You'd never know the Parker linage was pureblooded, the way they behave. Embarrassment to the wizarding world. All of them, even the dead ones." Liz chuckles. 

Peter wants to scream, to curse at Liz, to hex her, you can tell. You elbow Liz, she looks surprised.

"What's up with you, Flash?" She asks Peter.

In a low voice he answers, "Stomachache."

"Well, go to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick in the arse for me! You know, I'm  
surprised The Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet. I suppose Strange's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father always said Strange the worst thing that's ever happened to this place." Liz says.

Anger boils inside of you, "You're wrong!" You say shrilly.

"What? Did you say that I was wrong? You think there's someone here who's worse than Strange? "

Worried. You think, then: "Uhhh, _____ Marvel."

Liz grins, "Good one, Betty. You're absolutely right. Saint Marvel. She's another one with no proper  
wizard feeling, or she wouldn't go around with those Mudbloods Leeds and Jones. And people actually think she's the Heir of Slytherin." 

You and Peter exchange a glance. You lean closer to Liz.

"Then you must have some idea who's the heir?" You ask.

"You know I haven't, Betty. How many times do I have to tell you? But my father did say this much:  
It's been fifty years since the Chamber was opened. He wouldn't tell me who opened it- only that  
they were expelled- but I know this: the last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So it's only a matter of time before one of them's killed this time. As for me... I hope it's Jones."  
As Liz grins, your wand rises. When Peter stops you.

"What's the matter with you two? You're acting very odd. And Flash what's with those glasses in your pocket?" She asks Peter (his reading glasses.)

"Glasses for, uh reading."

Liz looks a bit impressed, "Huh. I didn't know you could read." 

Suddenly you see Peter staring at you wide-eyed, your touched your forehead, your scar was surfacing beneath the surface of Betty's thin skin. 

You turn, And Flashes obviously black hair hair is turning brown. You both jump to your feet, and dash out of the room.

"Hey! Where are you going!" Liz shouts.  
_

Just before you reach the door to the bathroom you are fully yourselves once again.

"That was close!" Peter says hugging you as the two of you jump with joy.

"Michelle, come out. We've got loads to tell you!" You say joyfully.

"Go away!" Michelle shouts.

As you and Peter exchange a puzzled glance, Screaming Starr spirals into view, looking disturbingly happy.

"Ooh, wait till you see. It's awful!" The ghost  
snickers.

The stall's lock slides back. The door opens slowly.

"Do you remember me telling you the Polyjuice Potion was only for human transformations...?" Michelle whimpers.

Even in shadow, you can see: Michelle's face is covered in fur, her eyes yellow, and pointed ears poke through her hair.

"It was cat hair I plucked off Emma Frosts robes! Look at my face!" 

"Look at your tail." Peter mutters.  
_

Staggering under the weight of the library books in your arms, you and Peter make your way to Michelle's bed, which is already covered in books.

"Oh, good. Put those anywhere. There is no anywhere. So then just, drop them." Michelle says.

"The Librarian asked that we relay a message to you, Michelle: She'd appreciate it if you'd leave a few books for the rest of the school." Peter laughs.

"I've got to keep up, haven't I?" Just then, Michelle's tail twitches into view.

"Is that thing ever going away?" You groan.

"Any day now, according to Madam Khan. I'm just thankful I've stopped coughing up fur balls." 

"We all are, believe me." Peter says, nodding. 

"Now. What about the Chamber of Secrets? Any new leads?" You press. 

"Nothing." Michelle says. "And has it gotten any better? I mean...is anyone speaking to you?" 

"Ned asked to borrow a tube-worm in Potions yesterday. I suppose that's something." You frown.

Peter takes a get-well card from under Michelle's pillow, "To Miss Jones. Wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher Scott Summers. You sleep with this under your pillow?" He laughs.

"Of course not. I don't know how that got there. Now go. I still have six hundred pages to read in Transfiguration Through the Ages." She shoos the both of you off.


	13. Follow the Spiders

"I know Michelle's crazy, but can you believe she falls for that nonsense of Summers?" You laugh.

Peter suddenly stops you. You feel water flood into your shoes. A gushing stream of water leaks from the Girls' Bathroom. From within, Ava Starr can be heard screaming.

"Looks like Ava's flooded the bathroom." Peter sighs, you slosh off toward the bathroom while Peter steps lightly. 

Loud, wracking screams echo off the dreary tile. All the taps are running, streaming like tiny waterfalls. As you and Peter step to the last cubicle, Ava spins around madly.

"Come to throw something else at me?" Ava wails.

"Why would I throw something at you?" You say sharply.

"Don't ask me. Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me..." Ava grumbles.

"But it can't hurt if someone throws something at you. I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?" Peter mutters.

"Oh sure! Let's all throw books at Ava, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach. Fifty points if it goes through her head!" She shrieks floating up.

"Who threw it at you anyway?" You ask covering your ears.

"I don't know. I didn't see them. I was just sitting in the U-bend, thinking about death and it fell through the top of my head." She grumbles, pointing to a small black book on the floor, the book had a beautiful yellow stone embellished onto the cover.

You examine the book carefully as you and Peter walk out of the bathroom.

"This is a diary. And it's old..." you say touching the stone on the front, you felt a small tingle on your forehead.

"It's a diary, it's old... and it was most recently in a toilet, _____. Although, it does look a bit like a diary I gave Pepper, but it didn't have that stone." Peter says. 

You start to open it when Peter suddenly grabs both of your hands.

"Are you mad? That could be cursed. May once told me about a book the Ministry confiscated that burned the eyes out of anyone who tried to read it." Peter says trying to snatch it away.

"I'll take my chances..." you open it, "AHHHH! MY EYES! MY EYES!"

"_____!" Peter freezes, terrified.

You burst out laughing, and double over, looking up  
at the end of corridor, Penni Parker stands, looking at you with utter terror on her face, she runs off,

"Penni!" You call after her. "I was only joking- brilliant. Even your cousin thinks I'm the monster now." You grumble.

Peter frowns suddenly. On the first page on the diary, in embossed letters, there is a name:  
Santho Molrida

"Santho Molrida? Hang on. I know that name..." he thinks, "Of course! The night I had detention... My job was to polish the silver in the trophy room. I remember because I kept burping slugs all over Santhos' trophy. I must have wiped slime off his name for an hour." Peter laughs.

You flip through the pages. They're empty.

"That's odd. He never wrote in it."  
_

You sit with Michelle in the moonlit room. She studies the diary curiously.

"Santho Molrida...Hm. And Peter said he won an award fifty years ago?" She asks.

"Special Services to the School or something-" You say.

"Fifty years ago? You're sure?" Michelle interrupts.

"Yes. Why?" You mumble, fidgeting with a loose string on your robes.

"Don't you remember what Liz told you? The last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened was-"

"Fifty years ago! That means-" you start.

"Santho Molrida was here, at Midgards, when it happened. What if he wrote about what he saw? It's  
possible he knew where the Chamber was, how to open it, even what sort of creature lives in it. If  
so, whoever's behind the attacks this time wouldn't want a diary like this lying around, would they?" Michelle says.

"That's a brilliant theory, Michelle. With just one tiny little flaw. There's nothing written in this diary." You sigh.

"It might be invisible ink." She pulls out her wand, "Aparecium!"

She taps the diary three times. Nothing happens. The pages remain blank. She frowns, and passes the book back to you.

"I don't know, _____. But I think you should be careful with this. Something tells me Peter might actually be right. It could be dangerous." Michelle says nervously.

"You don't think I'm dangerous, do you, Michelle? I mean, you're not scared. Of me." You ask earnestly.

"I'm scared,_____. But not of you."  
_

You sit solemnly in the common room, flipping through the blank pages of the diary.

You start to set the diary aside, but then you notice a bottle of ink sitting on your desktop. An idea flickers in your brain. Taking your quill, you dip it, and then hesitate. The drop of ink hangs off your quill, suspended like a tear, then drops. 

The ink blazes briefly, then...vanishes, as if it were sucked into the page. 

You, suddenly excited, dip your quill again, and, this time, write: "My name is _____Marvel." The words blaze then vanish once again. 

Slowly, oozing out of the page, comes a response: "Hello, ____ Marvel. My name is Santho Molrida."

You mutter the words you start to write, "Do... you... know... anything...about... the... Chamber... of...  
Secrets?"

Ink oozes out: Yes

"Can... you... tell... me?" You internally beg, as you scribble the words. Your heart races. 

You frown. Then... slowly... new words ooze to the surface: "no"

You frown

"But I can show you..."

You wait, intrigued. Then, suddenly, the pages flutter wildly, then, stop on June the 13th. On the page, a tiny square shimmers... like a window. You lift the book, close your eyes, and then you suddenly fall forward, spilling, falling through the widening window.  
_  
You tumble on your feet, into a torch-lit corridor. Everything is de-saturated, and gloomy. You glance about, disoriented, then spy a boy at the end of the corridor, peering around a corner. A flurry of shadows dances on the wall beyond the boy, revealing the presence of others, unseen, in an adjoining room.

As you advance, low voices emanate from the shadows. As you reach the strange boy, you speak in a whisper, "Excuse me. Could you tell me where I am? Hello...?" 

The boy doesn't respond, eyes glued to the activity in the adjoining room, which you realize now is the the Entrance Hall. A group of elderly witches and wizards talk amongst themselves, then abruptly go silent, and make way for two young men bearing a stretcher...with a sheet-covered body on it.

The boy wheels, and looks right through you! You turn, too. It's...Professor Strange, he although, only looks a bit younger.

"Professor Strange." The boy says.

"It's not wise to be wandering around this late, Santho." Strange says.

"Yes, Professor. I suppose I- I just had to see for myself, if..." Santho glances toward the young wizards, watching them carry the stretcher out of the Hall, into the night. "...the rumors were true."

"I'm afraid they are, Santho."

"About the school as well? They wouldn't really close Midgards, would they, Professor?" 

"Headmaster Mordo may have no choice, I'm afraid." Strange says.

"Sir? If it all stopped. If the person responsible was caught..." Santho says nervously.

"Is there something you wish to tell me, Santho?" Strange says.

A long beat.

"No, sir. Nothing." 

Strange studies Santho, "Very well then. Hurry along."

Strange strides directly past you, not seeing you. When Strange disappears behind a corner, Santho moves quickly, toward the dungeon steps.  
_

Up ahead, a beam of light leaks through a door, Santho puts his eye to the crack. Inside someone is saying, "Come on Aragog. We gotta get you out of here, in the box, come on." 

As Santho pushes the door clear, you see a second, smaller room. Crouched by a box, is a small sickly looking boy, he oddly reminds you of someone. A strange clicking comes from the box.

"Evening Bruce." Santho says.

It was young Bruce! Wow, he couldn't have been more than a first year. Bruce slams the door shut.

"I'm going to have to turn you in, Bruce! I don't think you meant to kill anyone-" Santho says.

"No! Please! You can't! You don't understand!" Bruce cries.

"Bruce. The dead girls parents will be here tomorrow. The least Midgards can do is make sure the thing that killed their daughter has been slaughtered!" Santho snaps.

"It wasn't him! Aragog would never kill anyone! Never!" Bruce shouts. 

"Monsters don't make good pets, Bruce. Now...stand aside..." he draws his wand, then blasts the door off its hinges. 

The creature in the box escapes, it was a low-slung thing, with a tangle of black legs, a dozen eyes and a pair of razor sharp fangs.

As Santho points his wand at it, Bruce tackles him. 

As they tumble to the floor, the entire room whirls off its axis, spinning, and you find yourself plummeting through color and shadow again, falling flat on your back to the floor of the Gryffindor Common Room, the ceiling above spinning, slowly, to a stop. 

You rise, and dash upstairs. You stare at the entrance of the boys dormitories for a moment, thinking of how you'd explain to the boys why you were in there, especially so late, but you had to let Peter know, now!  
_

You rush to Peters bed and whisper intensely, "Peter! Peter!" 

"W-what? What's happened." He says waking up with a start.

"It was Bruce. Bruce opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."  
_

You, Peter and Michelle are walking together across the grounds.

"It can't be Bruce. It just can't be." Michelle says.

"_____, We don't even know this Santho. He sounds like a dirty, rotten snitch to me." 

"The monster had killed someone, Peter. What would any of us done?" You say.

"Look. Bruce's our friend. Why don't we just go ask him about it?" Michelle suggests.

"That'd be a cheerful visit. Hello, Bruce. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?" Peter mocks. 

"Mad and hairy? Wouldn't be talking about me would you?".

The three of you wheel around, and spot Bruce, grinning at you. You all instantly look guilty.

"No!" You all day in unison. 

Bruce looks at you curiously. You nod to the strange canister in his hand.

"What's that you've got?" You ask.

"Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent. For the Mandrakes, you know. According to Professor Groot, they still got a bit of growing up to do, but once their acne clears up, we'll be able to chop them up, stew them, and get those people in the hospital un-Petrified. Until then, you three best watch yourselves, all right?" Bruce says happily.

You all nod, and watch Bruce lope away. Just then, Ned comes running up. He looks pale with fright, 

"_____ , I don't know who did it, but...you'd better come."  
You walk with Ned to the common room.

"I promise I wasn't lurking in the girls dormitories, Valkyrie wanted me to tell you. I swear." Ned says, going absolutely scarlet in the face.

"Ned, I believe you. Furnace," The password opens the door, and you turn to the portrait, it swings open and you go inside.

You trot upstairs to the girls dormitories, when you get to your shared room, your space is a disaster: your trunks had been riffled through, drawers flung open, bedclothes strewn on the floor.

"It had to be a Gryffindor. Nobody else knows our password. Unless, it wasn't a student..." Michelle says.

"Well whoever it was, they were looking for something." Valkyrie huffs.

She was one of your roommates, along with Michelle, and Shuri Waka. Valkyrie was a short, muscular girl, with carmel skin and a bad attitude. Now that you think about it, she was quite a good flyer. You suppose maybe she'll take one of the older kids spots on the Gryffindor team next year. 

Shuri Waka, well she had the highest marks in your year (Michelle was second of course), you scarcely saw her with any Gryffindors, she usually could be found hanging out with a pack of Ravenclaws. Well, that was when she wasn't in the library, or mixing up a new potion. She was normal height, and slim with dark black skin and usually wore her hair in braids that hung down to her waist. She was nice enough from what you knew. So that was that.

"Where's Peter?" You ask Michelle.

"Downstairs, he can't get up here because of the enchantment." Michelle says.

"Enchantment?" You ask.

"Whenever a boy tries to walk up the steps to the girls dormitories, the steps flatten out, he'd slide all the way down before he could reach the top, honestly, I read it all in, Midgards: a History." She says seriously. 

You roll your eyes and move a couple more of your strewn about things, and then open your nightstand drawer. It's gone.

"Michelle it's gone." You say urgently.

"What is?"

"Santho Molrida's diary is gone."  
_

You, dressed in your Quidditch robes, dash down a staircase with Peter and Michelle. Down below, Peter spies Pepper Potts.

"Hey, Pepper! Going to the match?" He asks, Pepper looks up, startled, then shakes her head and exits.

"I tell you, she gets weirder and weirder by the day..." he grimaces. 

"Kill this time... Let me rip..." 

Your head shoots toward the source of the sound, there it was again, that horrible voice. 

You freeze. And Peter and Michelle stop, knowing by your face...

"No... don't tell me..." Peter mutters. He goes to grab your sleeve, but his fingers just fall short, and you begin to absentmindedly follow the sound, running your fingers along the wall. Then abruptly, you turn away and shake your head; it's gone.

Michelle looks up at you strangely, eyes vaguely upon you, but her mind seemingly miles away.

"I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!" She says.

As Michelle sprints back up the stairs, you yell.

"What do you understand!?" 

But she's gone. Peter turns to you in puzzlement.

"The library?" He asks.

You sigh, "That's Michelle. When in doubt, go to the library."  
_

You and your teammates march toward the Quidditch tower. The cheers of the crowd are heard from above.

"Listen up now. We play our game, Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance. We're stronger, quicker, smarter." Matthew Murdock says sternly

"Not to mention they're dead terrified _____'ll petrify them if they fly anywhere near her." Pietro Maximoff chuckles.

You glare at him.

"That, too." Matthew shrugs.

Just then, Professor T'Challa appears, barring your way.

"Professor T'Challa-" Matthew begins.

"This match has been cancelled." Professor T'Challa says in a dark tone.

"Cancelled! They can't cancel Quidditch-" Gamora Titan protests.

"Silence, Gamora! You will return to Gryffindor Tower now. Marvel, you and I will find Mr. Parker.  
There's something the both of you need to see." T'Challa says sternly.  
_

T'Challa pauses outside the door, and turns to you and Peter.

"I warn you. This will be a bit of shock." 

He opens the door. Madam Khan is leaning over a bed where a girl lies. As she straightens up, the girl is...

"Michelle!" You cry.

"She was found near the library." T'Challa says grimly, "along with this. Does it mean anything to either of you?" He holds up a small circular mirror. 

You shake you head.

T'Challa nods gravely, then leads you out.  
_

T'Challa reads from a parchment to the somber Gryffindors.

"All students will return to their house common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. You will be  
escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No exceptions," he rolls up the parchment. "I should tell you all this.  
Unless the culprit behind the attacks is caught, it is likely that the school will be closed." T'Challa turns, then exits. 

Instantly, as one, the students begin to talk amongst themselves. Ned speaks up.

"Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin,  
the monster of Slytherin- why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" 

"You can't be serious? Slytherins have just as much a right to go to this school as we do." You tell Ned. There is a small murmur of agreement and disagreement for your side.

"They can't close Midgards. Where would we all go?" Shuri Waka says. 

"Where? I don't care what anyone says. As long as Strange's here, Midgards will be safe." Luke Cage says, many people nod in agreement.

You pull Peter to a silent corner, "We've got to talk to Bruce, Peter. I can't believe it's him. But if he did set the monster loose last time- even by accident, he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets. And that's a start." 

"But you heard T'Challa. We're not allowed to leave the tower except for class." Peter says.

"I think it's time to get my Mom's old Cloak out again." You open your drawer, a reach in, taking out the invisibility cloak. All around you, your roommates sleep. You place it over your arm and carry it down to the common room where Peter is waiting for you. 

You pitch it over the two of you, and you both disappear.  
_

You knock on the door to Bruce's hut. Bruce swings open the door.

"Who's there?" He calls.

You and Peter drop the cloak. Bruce's face turns relaxed, Fang, Bruce's enormous boar-hound, thumps his tail at the sight of you and Peter. You point to a crossbow on Bruce's table. 

"What's that for?" You ask.

"Nothing, nothing. I've been expecting...Doesn't matter. Sit down...I'll make tea..." Bruce nervously takes the kettle, and spills the water. 

"Are you okay? Did you hear about Michelle?" You ask.

"Yeah I heard, all right." He sighs.

"Look...we have to ask you something. Do you know who's opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Peter says quickly. 

Bruce takes a fruit cake, stops, about to answer, when...there is a loud knock. The fruitcake smashes to the floor. Panicked, you throw the cloak over you and Peter. Obviously nervous, Bruce grabs his crossbow, and points it at the door.

"C-come in." Bruce says.

The door opens. A grim Strange enters, followed by a portly man in a pin-stripe suit and bowler. 

"Good evening Bruce." Strange says.

"That's May's boss! Thaddeus Ross. The Minister of Magic!" Peter whispers.

You elbow him in the ribs to shut him up. 

"Bad business, Banner. Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act." Thaddeus Ross says. 

"I never...You know I never, Stephen, sir." Bruce pleads.

"I want it understood, Thaddeus, that Bruce has my full confidence." Strange says.

"Look, Stephen, Banners record's against him. I've got to take him in." Ross says. 

"Take me? Where? Not Azkaban prison." Bruce's voice quivers.

"For a short stretch only. Not a punishment, Bruce. More a...precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be released with a full apology." Ross says. 

Just then, there is a sharp rap on the door. As Strange opens it, you slump. It's Adrien Toomes.

"Already here, Thaddeus? Good, good..." Adrien Toomes says.

"What are you doing here? Get out of my house!" Bruce says.

"My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your- do you call this a house? I simply messaged the school and was told the Headmaster was here." Adrien says, annoyed. 

"And what exactly did you want with me, Adrien?" Strange says.

"Dreadful thing, Strange, but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension. You'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. What with all these attacks, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Midgards. And we all know what an awful loss that would be." Toomes says smirking. 

He hands Ross an official roll of parchment.

"Now, see here, Adrien. Strange suspended. No, no... last thing we want right now...If Strange can't stop these attacks...I mean to say, who can?" Ross says. 

"That remains to be seen, but as all twelve governors have voted-" Adrien starts.

"And how many did you have to threaten before they agreed!" Bruce says, his skin bubbling green. 

"I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that." Adrien snickers.

"You can't take Stephen! Take him away and the Muggle-borns won't stand a chance! There'll be killings next!" Bruce was suddenly two feet taller and the seams of his closes were busting, he was quickly turning into Hulk.

"Calm yourself, Bruce!" Strange yells steely-eyed. "If the governors want my removal, Adrien, I shall of course step aside. However...you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are  
loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Midgards to those who...ask for it."  
Stranges eyes drift, unmistakably, to you. 

"Admirable sentiments. We shall all miss your highly individual way of running things, Stephen, and only hope your successor will manage to prevent any killings." Toomes strides to the door and bows Strange out. 

Ross, fiddling with his bowler, waits for Bruce.

Instead, Bruce stands his ground, takes a deep breath and says carefully... "If anyone wanted to find out anything, all they'd have to do is follow the spiders. That'd lead them right! That's all I'm saying." Ross stairs at Bruce in amazement, then follows him out. 

As the door slams shut, Fang starts to howl, scratching at the closed door. You and Peter emerge from the cloak.

"Bruce's right. With Strange gone, there'll be an attack everyday." Peter says.

"Look...At the windowsill," you point, a trail of spiders escapes through a crack in the glass. You grab Bruce's lantern, "C'mon."  
_

You illuminate the trail of spiders. They run from the window to the ground, to the dark trees in the near distance. As you move to follow them, Peter hesitates.

"What are you doing?" He asks.

"You heard Bruce. Follow the spiders." You say. 

"They're heading into the Dark Forest." Peter whimpers, grabbing on to Fang's leash harder.

You put a hand on his shoulder, "It'll be fine, I'll- I'll protect you." 

Peter gives a weak smile and sighs, and you head off.  
He follows, "Why spiders. Why couldn't it be 'Follow the butterflies'?"  
_

Fang crashes through low-slung branches and sharp brambles as you follow. Peter gingerly picks his way, then jumps as fang howls. Branches snap. A rumbling noise sounds, then...silence. You spy something, then point.

"There's something moving over there...something big." You mutter. 

Just then a blaze of light splinters the trees, blinding everyone. You all start to flee, when Peter stops.

"_____!..._____, it's our car!" He smiles.

Scratched and mud-smeared, with bits of earth and grass sprouting from its headlamps and hubcaps- the Ford Anglia looks half-animal.


	14. No Rest for the Wicked

"It's been here all the time! Look at it. The Forest has turned it wild." Peter slaps the hood in a loving manor.

You nod quickly, and then glance back up to the slope, "C'mon, we don't want to lose the trail."  
_

You and Peter enter a hollow ribboned with shadows. Enormous trees tower over you, strewn with strands of white webbing. Peter steps on a strand, and then kicks it off queasily. 

You peer up ahead: at the far end of the hollow, the spiders stream toward dark opening.

As you and Peter slowly approach the opening, a clicking sound emanates from within, echoing in the branches of the tall trees. Growing louder. You put your hand near your wand, Peter falters, glancing at you nervously.

"I don't have a good feeling about this, _____-" Peter says. 

"Don't panic." You say grabbing his arm and placing him behind you protectively.

As you step up to the mouth of the cavern, the air  
suddenly crackles with movement. Twigs snap. A huge shadow emerges, and slowly engulfs you. You swallow hard and then peer up.

You see an enormous spider, the size of a small elephant. As it advances, you and Peter back slowly away. Then: its blind eyes catch the light, and it stops. As if...listening.

"You do not come from the forest. Your hearts beat like...mortals." The beast says.

You finally are able to take a struggled breath, "Yes. We're friends of Bruce's. And...your....Aragog, aren't you?" 

Hearing this, Aragog's head turns slightly.

"Bruce Banner has never sent mere humans into our  
hollow before." Aragog says.

"He's in trouble. Up at school, there've been attacks. They think it's Bruce. They think he's opened the Chamber of Secrets. Like before." You stutter.

As you talk, you notice Peter eyes dart warily about. He nudges you, but you ignore him.

"That's a lie! Bruce never opend the Chamber of Secrets!" Aragog hisses.

"But if Bruce never...that means...you're not the monster." You realize.

"The monster was born in the castle. I came from a distant land, in the pocket of a traveler." Aragog says.

Peter turns, "_____..." He whispers.

"Shhh!" You command.

"But if you're not the monster, what did kill that girl fifty years ago?" You ask.

"We do not speak of it! It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others." The beast says harshly.

"But have you seen it?" You press.

"I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which Bruce kept me. The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Bruce brought me here." Aragog says.

You look up for a moment and see hundreds of spiders in high and low branches dropping downward like paratroopers. Peter grabs you. You pale, and turn slowly back to Aragog.

"Well... thank you. We'll just go..." You sputter. 

"Go? I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Bruce, on my command. But I cannot deny  
them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Goodbye, friends of Bruce." Aragog turns, and disappears into the shadows of the cavern.

"Can we panic now?" Peter says.

A gang of five-foot spiders bar the path ahead. And they begin to move forward. You and Peter spin again: Spiders. Everywhere. Closing in. Desperately, you swing the lantern in you hand. 

"I'm so sorry!" You cry out to Peter.

The lantern light goes out and you pitch it to the side. As one, you and Peter draw your wands.

"Nice knowing you, and thank you for being my best friend." Peter says, taking your hand solemnly.

You're done for. Fang whimpers. The spiders draw closer, clicking there pinchers feverishly, when all of a sudden a long, loud horn bleats. 

Seconds later, a blaze of light ignites the hollow and the Ford Angelia comes thundering over the rim and down the slope, knocking all the spiders out of its path. As it screeches to a halt, the doors fling open.

"Let's go!" You shout, pulling Peter's arm.

You, Peter and Fang leap inside. Peter shifts around frantically, "THE WINDOWS! ROLL UP THE WINDOWS!"

You try to crank the handle frantically, "I CAN'T! IT'S STUCK!" 

Just then, a hairy leg reaches through Peter's window. Instantly, Peter hits the gas, throws the car into reverse. Spiders scatter, but the two clinging to the side windows hold tight.

As the car zooms backwards out of the hollow, you finally are able to roll your window tight, and you snap off one of the spiders legs.

The Anglia jets out of the hollow, and lands with a thud. You turn. The other spider is pulling Peter from the car. You point your wand, utter a spell and then a blinding flash of light blasts the spider into the shadows whipping past.

"Thanks for that." Peter says quickly.

"Don't mention it." You shout. 

As the car flies over a ridge, you see them: a sea of spiders heading straight for you like a herd of raging wildebeests. Peter puts his foot to the floor, spins the wheel and sends the car sliding away. The spiders stampede after.

The Anglia slams through the forest, skimming past trees as the spiders charge after. You peer ahead, and see an area of fallen trees. It is an opening, one narrow escape route.

"That way! It's the only way out!" You point, then look back, "Hurry! They're catching up!"

Peter jams the accelerator, just as a giant tarantula drops in front of the escape route. You and Peter are as good as dead.

"Can you get us in the air?" You beg. Peter begins jostling the gear stick.

"Flying gear's jammed!" He cries. 

The spiders behind draw closer. The tarantula waits  
ahead. You claps your hand over Peter's on the gear shift, pushing.

The tarantula's pincers open, ready to kill, when... the gear shift gives, and the Anglia's wheels lift and the car begins to fly, leaving the furious spiders below. The car barely avoids the rearing tarantula, then sails over the trees.  
_

Fang bolts free. You and Peter exit the car wearily, then watch it turn and rumble back into the forest.

"Follow the spiders! Follow the! spiders! If he ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill Bruce. I mean, what was the point of sending us in there? What have we  
found out?" Peter screams.

You were tearing up a little, tears of joy, because you were alive mostly. You grab Peter and pull him into a hug. 

"You're wrong Peter, we know one thing. Bruce never opened the Chamber of Secrets. He was innocent."

_

Madam Khan bars the door, and frowns at you and Peter.

"There's no point in talking to a petrified person. She won't hear a word you're saying." She says sternly.

You shift uncomfortably.

"We know that, Madam Khan. It's just, well, you see, we thought, maybe, we could...be with her for a bit. She's our friend, you see, and even if she can't hear us; I mean, it can't hurt, can it?

A glint of sympathy flickers in Khan's eyes, "Very well then. But be quick about it." 

As she exits, you both step to her bed. Absently, Peter picks up the circular mirror that lies on the nightstand.

You study Michelle's face. "Wish you were here, Michelle. We need you. Now more than ever..." you sigh.

Just then, the mirror in Peter's hand catches the late afternoon sunlight, and casts a jagged ray across Michelle's hand. You watch the light dance over her fingers...and then look closer, you notice a paper clutched tightly in her hand.  
_

You and Peter duck into an alcove, and you take out the paper, which has been torn from a library book.

"Of the many fearsome beasts that roam our land, none is more deadly than the Basilisk. Capable of  
living for hundreds of years, instant death awaits any who meet this giant serpent's eye. Spiders flee before it and only the crowing of the rooster can kill it." You read.

You look up, "Peter! This is it! The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a Basilisk. That's why I can hear it speak. It's a snake." 

"But it kills by looking people in the eye. Why is it no one's dead?" Peter wonders aloud.

You frown, contemplating this, then catch you and Peters reflections in the window opposite. You mutter softly, "Because no one did look it in the  
eye. Not directly at least...Phil saw it through his camera. Rhodey- Rhodey must've seen the Basilisk through one of the ghosts...the ghost got the full blast of it, but it's a ghost- it couldn't die again...  
and Michelle...had the mirror! I bet you anything she  
was using it to look round corners, in case it came along." 

"And Goose? I'm pretty sure she didn't have a camera or a mirror, _____." Peter says,

"Well... there was water on the floor that night. She only saw the Basilisk's reflection..." you glance at the page again, "The crowing of the rooster is fatal to it! That's why Bruce's roosters were killed! Spiders  
flee before it! It all fits!" 

"But how's the Basilisk been getting around? A dirty great snake. Someone would have seen-"

"Michelles answered that too." You say triumphantly, showing him the scribble on the page. 

Peter looks aghast, "Pipes...? It's using the plumbing?"

"Remember what Aragog said? About that girl fifty years ago? She died in a bathroom. What if she  
never left." 

"Screaming Starr!"

You nod. Just then, T'Challa's voice echos throughout the castle, magically magnified.

"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers to the second floor corridor. Immediately." It says.

"Well Peter you know what this means." You smirk. 

"I'm scared to say." He says.

"We're going to the second floor corridor."  
_

T'Challa stands before the desecrated wall, surrounded by the rest of the staff. You and Peter creep up the stairwell.

"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message. Our worst fear has been realized. A student has been taken by the monster. Into the Chamber itself." 

The teachers gasp and cry out, T'Challa swiftly responds, "I'm afraid we shall have to send the students home. I'm afraid...this is the end of Midgards." 

Suddenly professor Summers bursts in cheerily, "So sorry. Dozed off. What have I missed?" 

"Just the man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Summers. Your moment has come at last." Professor Laufeyson says. 

"My m-moment?" Summers stutters.

"Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" Laufeyson smirks.

"D-did I? I don't recall..." Summers says.

"That settles it. We'll leave you to deal with the monster Scott. Your skills, after all are legend." T'Challa says sternly.

"V-very well. I'll- I'll be in my office, getting- getting  
ready." Summer says, pale as a ghost.

"The rest of us should go and inform the students what has happened." T'Challa says.

"Who is it the monster's taken, T'Challa?" Professor Groot asks. 

"Penni Parker."

Peter's knees give way. As you catch him, the staff scatters, revealing what is written on the wall:

HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN  
THE CHAMBER, FOREVER

_

You and a very upset Peter walk with desperate purpose.

"She knew something,____. She'd found out something about the Chamber of Secrets. That's why she was taken. I mean, she was- is a pure-blood. There can't be any other reason."

You pull him away, "C'mon. Let's go see Summers. He may be brainless, but he's going to try and get into the Chamber. We can tell him what we know..."

"D'you think there's any chance at all she's not, you  
know-" Peter says, solemnly. "I mean...she's only my cousin and, to be honest I don't know her that well, but I still care about her." 

You glance over, and study Peter's tortured eyes.

"We'll find her, Peter. Penni is going to be fine." You assure him, giving him a quick hug, he weakly hugs back.

Peter releases and nods, smiles shakily, and looks away.

You suddenly feel very troubled. Even you don't believe what you just said. And you feel immensely bad for trying to give Peter false hope.  
_

You and Peter dash inside Professor Summers office.

"Professor, we've got some information for you-" you start to say, but then you and Peter both stop dead.

Summers' office is stripped to the shelves. Two large trunks stand open.

"Are you going somewhere?" You say. 

"Um, well, yes. Urgent call. Unavoidable. Got to go..." Summers mutters.

"What about my cousin?" Peter says furiously. 

"Well, as to that- most unfortunate. No one regrets more than I-" Summers sputters.

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't go now!" Peter shouts, more angry than you had ever seen him before.

"I must say, when I took the job, nothing in the job description-" Summers says, almost offended. 

"You're running away? After all that stuff you did in your books?" You ask, dumbfounded. 

"Books can be misleading." He responds.

"You wrote them!" You shout.

"My dear girl, do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all..." Summers sneers.

"You're a fraud! You've just been taking credit for what a load of other wizards have done!"

"_____,_____,_____. There was work involved. I had to track these people down and ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. No, it's not all book signings and publicity photos. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long, hard slog." Summers says.

"Is there even anything you can do?" Peter scoffs.

"Yes, now that you mention it. I'm rather gifted with Memory Charms. Otherwise, you see, all those wizards would've gone blabbing and I'd never have sold another book. I'm afraid I'll have to do the same to you both, lest you do the same." 

Summers lifts his wand, but you're quicker.

"Expelliarmus!"

Summers flies backwards, toppling into one of the open trunks, his wand flying across the floor.

"Looks like those Dueling Lessons came in handy after all, Professor."  
_

Former Professor Summers walks ahead of you and Peter, your wands pointed at him. Screaming Starr floats above the cistern.

"Who's there?" She says, then smiles, it's flirty. It's not towards you but Peter, despite her being a ghost, it makes you feel...funny. "Hello, _____. What do you want?

"To ask you how you died." 

She looks quite flattered, "Oooooh, it was dreadful. It happened right here. In this very cubicle. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my hair. I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in."

"Who was it, Starr?" Peter asks.

"I don't know! I was distraught! But they said something funny. A kind of made-up language. And I realized it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go away, and...died."

"Just like that? How?" You ask.

"No idea. I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes. Over there..." She points.

Look over to the bank of sinks. You hurry over, examining the pipes below, the tile above, then, you notice, etched on one of the copper taps is a tiny snake.

"This is it, Peter. This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."

"Say something, _____. Say something in Parseltongue." Peter says.

You look self-consciously at the tiny snake.

"Open up." You mutter.

Peter shakes his head. You must've spoken in your regular voice.

You concentrate harder this time, staring so intensely that the snake almost looks alive. When, finally, you speak.

The circular group of sinks open and a large, open pipe is exposed.

"Excellent, _____. Good work. Well then. I'll just be going. There's no need for me..." Summers says.

"Oh, yes there is. You first." You point your wand at Summers, then the opening.

"Now, children. What good will it do?" He says laughing nervously.

"A sure lot of good if it's a two-hundred-foot drop onto jagged rocks." Peter says.

Summers steps grimly to the dark, gaping hole. Peter gives him a shove and he topples headfirst and out of sight. You wait. Finally, 

"It's really quite filthy down here."

"All right. Let's go." 

"Oh, Peter, _____... if you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet." Starr says.

"Thanks, Ava." You both say.

You turn. Then jump. Seconds later, Peter follows.  
_

You and Peter slide incredibly fast, in a vertical plummet, you catch glimpses of Peter next to you, and smaller pipes branching off in all directions, twisting and turning until the pipe levels off, and dumps you both onto the damp floor of a stone tunnel.

Summers stares miserably at the muck dripping from his robes. You take a torch from the wall, and poise your wand.

"Lumos!" 

The torch blooms with a bright orange flame.

"Remember. Any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away." You say.  
_

You lead the way down the tunnel. Then, CRUNCH!   
Everyone looks down: a rat's skull. All around them, the ground is littered with tiny skeletons. Peter squints, sees something huge and curved lying ahead. 

When he speaks, his voice is hollow with dread,  
"What's that? Up ahead?" 

"That looks like a...snake." Summers says terrified, he quickly hides his eyes.

"Maybe it's asleep." You say anxiously.

Peter draws his wand as they approach, squinting. You shine the light, revealing...a gigantic coil of  
shedded skin.

"Holy- Whatever shed this must be twenty feet long. Or more." Peter says.

THUD! You both turn. Summers has passed out.

"Heart of a lion, this one." Peter says.

Peter kneels by him, when suddenly, Summers eyes open and, quick as a fox, he snatches Peter's wand and scrambles to his feet.

"The adventure ends here, children! But don't fret. The world will know our story. How I was too late to save the girl. How you two tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body. I'll even bind a limited edition in this snake skin. Say goodbye to your memories." He raises Peter's wand, you clutch on to your friend for dear life, "Obliviate!"

Peter's wand explodes like a small bomb, blasting Summers off his feet and spitting great jets of fire into the rock above. 

As rubble rains, Peter leaps one way and you the other.

You sit up, and squint through the settling dust. A solid walk of broken rock seals the tunnel between you and Peter.

"Peter! Peter? Are you okay?!" You call. 

"I'm okay! This idiots not, though. He got blasted by my wand. What now?" Peter says.

"Well...Wait here. I'll go on. I'll go on and... find  
Pepper. If I'm not back in an hour..." you leave it there. 

"When you get back, I'll try and shift some of this rock. So you can get through. And, _____-"

"No, no. We have to believe this isn't goodbye. Peter...I'll- I'll see you in a bit." You say touching the rubble, wishing you could hug him goodbye. 

If you did die, you wanted the last person you saw to be Peter, he had done so much for you.

You glance at the snake skin at your feet, then move off. You steps carefully through the shadows until you reach a towering stone wall, carved with twin serpents.

You concentrate, then mutter, "Open." In what only can be Parseltongue. 

The serpents part and the giant wall slides open.  
_

A vast chamber stretches ahead. Along the path are rows of stone serpents; the serpents rest in pools of pitch black water. Ahead is an enormous statue of Salazar Slytherin. Several feet in front of the statue, you see Penni Parker's body, it lies motionless.

You dash to her and take her in your arms, her head lolls to one side, cheeks white as marble. In her hand is what you know to be Santho Molrida's diary is clutched to her chest.

"Penni! Please don't be dead. Wake up! Wake up!"  
Penni!" You cry.

"She won't wake." A voice says. 

You spin around, it's- it's Santho Molrida. 

He is strangely blurred around the edges, as though you were looking at him through a fogged glass.

"Santho... Santho Molrida? What d'you mean, she won't wake? She's not..." you swallow hard. 

"She's still alive. But only just." He says.

"Are you a ghost?"

"Just a memory. Preserved in a diary for fifty years."

You look to the diary in Penni's hand, then touch her forehead with you fingers. 

"She's cold as ice. You've got to help me, Santho. There's a basilisk-" you start.

"It won't come until it's called."

You look up, and see Santho twirling your wand in his fingers.

"Give me my wand, Santho."

"You won't be needing it."

"Listen, we've got to go! We've got to save her!" You plead.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, _____. You see, as poor Penni grows weaker...I grow stronger."

"But she's dying!" You plead.

"Yes. I'm afraid so. But then, she's been in so much pain, poor Penni. She's been writing to me for months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes. Penni poured her soul out to me. I grew stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful enough to start feeding Penni a few secrets, to start pouring a bit of my soul back into her..." Santho, growing less vaporous by the second, grins cruelly, "yes,_____, it was Penni Parker who opened the Chamber of Secrets."

"No...she couldn't- she wouldn't." You say in disbelief. 

"It was Penni who set the Basilisk on the Mudbloods and the Squib's cat. Penni who wrote threatening messages on the walls...because I told her to. You'll find that I can be very persuasive. Not that she knew what she was doing. She was, shall we say, in a kind of trance. Still, the power of the diary began to scare her and she tried to dispose of it in the girls' bathroom. But then, who should find it...but you. The very person I was most anxious to meet." He laughs menacingly.

The anger bubbles inside of you, "And why did you want to meet me? But...Why?..." 

"Penni told me all about you. I knew I had to talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my capture of that now-brainless oaf, Bruce, to gain  
your trust." 

"Bruce is my friend. And you framed him, didn't you?" 

"It was my word against Bruce's. Only Strange seemed to think he was innocent." Santho says.

"I'll bet Strange saw right through you." You spit.

"I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. So I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day... I would be able to lead another to finish Slytherin's noble work."

"Well, you haven't finished it this time. In a few hours Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone  
who was petrified will be all right again." You assure yourself.

"Haven't I told you, that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore? For many months now, my  
new target has been...you." He grins madly, "Imagine my disappointment when I learned Penni had stolen the diary back from you."

"Penni stole the diary from my room? But why?" You ask, faltering.

"She was afraid. Afraid you'd learn how to work the diary. Afraid I'd tell you just who it was that had been strangling all those roosters." Santho laughs even more.

Horrified, you glance at Penni, looking more drained of life every second, then back to Santho, who is growing less blurred.

"Come now, _____. Don't look so disappointed. Had Penni succeeded in destroying the diary, she would have destroyed me. And we couldn't be having this little talk. And I have so many questions for you." He says.

"Like what?" You ask hesitantly.

"Well, how is it that a baby with no extraordinary magical talent managed to defeat the greatest  
wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Thanos' powers were destroyed?" He asks.

"Why do you care how I escaped? Thanos was after your time." You shrug defensively.

"Thanos is my past, present and future." He takes your wand from his pocket and begins to trace it through the air, writing two words: 

"SANTHO MOLRIDA." 

Then, with a wave, he re-arranges them:

"I AM LORD THANOS."

You stumble over your words gasping, "You. You're the heir of Slytherin. You're Thanos?"

"Surely you didn't think I would keep my filthy Muggle father's name?"

Wait so he's a half-blood? This isn't adding up...

"No, I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world." He says, looking very proud of himself.

"Congratulations, you can rearrange your name, but you're wrong, no matter how much hard you try, Stephen Strange will always be the greatest sorcerer in the world." You say as confidently as possible.

He scoffs, "Strange has been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me." 

"He'll never be gone! Not as long as those who remain are loyal to him!" 

Suddenly, a tune, eerie and unearthly, echoes deep within the chamber and a small, swift shadow ribbons over the rock. Flying from above is- is Fawkes, the Phoenix!

The bird swoops into the chamber, clutching a ragged bundle in its golden talons.

"Fawkes." You whisper gently.

Fawkes flies toward you, and drops the ragged bundle, which is the sorting hat? At your feet. Santho picks it up.

He begins giggling, "This is what Strange sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat!" He tosses aside the hat aside, "Goodbye _____ Marvel."

He turns to the statue of Slytherin and speaks in Parseltongue.

Suddenly, the stone face's mouth opens. There is a deep rumbling sound, followed by the sound of hissing and slithering.

You quickly turn away. The Basilisk, a enormous serpent, spills out, uncoiling onto the floor, it's next target is surely, you.


	15. The Heir of Slytherin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of Year 2

"Let's match the powers of Lord Thanos, Heir of Slytherin, against the famous ______ Marvel, shall we?" Thanos turns, to the serpent, speaking in Parseltongue.

The ginormous hissing snake shoots forward. You quickly turn and run away.

"Parseltongue won't save you now, Marvel! The Basilisk only obeys me!" He yells.

Don't look. Don't look into its eyes.

You race along the stone path, but the giant serpent  
is faster. You trip and fall. The Basilisk rises above you. You look to the wall, and see the serpents shadow about to strike. You take a sharp breath. 

Suddenly Fawkes screeches loudly, soaring toward the Basilisk and circling its blunt head, confusing it.  
The snake snaps furiously, when, all of a sudden Fawkes drops like a knife, driving his talons deep into the serpent's eyes.

As you watch the angry play of shadows on the wall, too afraid to look at the snake, the Basilisk roars, hissing in pain. Fawkes wings away, his talons dripping with blood and you turn, and look: the Basilisk's eyes are a blind, bloody mess.

"Fool! Think you're safe! It can still hear you!" Thanos roars. 

As you flee, the serpent thunders after you, striking blindly, as its whipping tail shatters a Slytherin statue. You dodge and duck, then, seeing the snake about to strike again, swiftly leap into a side tunnel.

You race along the tunnel into the shadows, then quickly look back, to see the snake eclipse the light at the far end of the tunnel and slither inside.

Sheets of sweat coat your neck out of sheer terror. Thinking for any solution, you duck into an alcove and clop your hand over your mouth to silence your breathing, you sit there as still as possible, your back to the rusty pipe.

The snake slides by, and then slows, like it's noticed you.

The snakes head weaves into the alcove, it's jaws only inches away from your face. You tremble silently as the snake cocks it's head to the side and then finally withdraws.  
_

You dash back into the main chamber. Penni looks frighteningly pale. Thanos grins cruelly, almost solid now.

"Yes, Marvel. The process is nearly complete. In a few minutes, Penni Parker will be dead. And I will cease to be a memory. Lord Thanos will return. Very much...alive." 

You move toward Penni, then suddenly the Basilisk shoots out of the tunnel, hissing directly in front of  
you. 

Trapped, you glance around, then, impulsively leap upward, and begin to scale the statue of Slytherin. The serpent strikes madly, but you continue on, climbing boldly until you finally reach the top. 

What am I doing? 

You turn, and see the Sorting Hat. But this time, inside the hat, something glitters within, the ruby handle of- of a sword.

You wheel around, sword in hand, and begin to fend off the slashing serpent like St. George and the dragon. In a mad rush of courage, you throw yourself onto the serpent, you slide down its back and roll up, sword raised. 

Too tired to flee, you simply wait. The serpent rises and, fangs bared and strikes.

Marshaling every ounce of strength left, you launch the sword upward, deep into the roof of the Basilisks mouth. It hisses in pain, thrashing madly as it drives a fang into your arm. 

The pain shoots through you, you clutch you arm in agony, and stumble back and fall to the floor, watching the snake thrash for a moment, and then go still. 

You look down, and see the fang that pierced your arm, the blood soaking slowly into your robes. You take a sharp breath and yank the fang free, Thanos steps forward, almost fully whole now. His eyes shine at the sight of your wound.

"Remarkable, isn't it? How quickly the venom of the Basilisk penetrates the body? If you have any final words, Marvel, you'd best speak them now. I'd guess you have little more than a minute to live."

You blink slowly, and feel your body run cold, you look to where the fang penetrated your arm, it's a gray color, like all the life had been sucked from it.

"So ends the famous _____ Marvel. On her knees in the Chamber of Secrets. Defeated at last by the Dark Lord she so unwisely challenged. You'll be back with  
your dear Mudblood mother soon, _____..." As Thanos talks, you glance at Penni, nearly white now, a small ghost, the only evidence of life, the trembling of a single finger. 

I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Penni.

You study the twitching finger and what lies beneath, it- it's Santho's diary. 

You begin to crawl toward her.

"Funny, isn't it? The damage a silly little book can do? Especially in the hands of a silly little girl." Thanos laughs. 

As you reach Penni, you place your hand on hers, then slip the diary free.

"What are you doing? No. Stop!" Thanos face creases in fear. He lunges forward. 

But you are too quick. Raising your hand high you plunge the Basilisk fang into the book. 

Instantly, black ink gushes from the pages.

"NO!" Thanos shrieks, writhing in pain. His body begins to wither instantly, growing blurry once more. As the ink runs off your fingers to the floor, you the young Thanos vanishes altogether. 

You collapse onto the floor, then hear a faint gasp. Penni Parker stirs, color blooming in her cheeks. As she sees you, she sobs.

"______. It was me! But I swear, I didn't mean to... he made me. He wrote to me...took me over...I didn't even know whose diary it was. I found it inside my  
cauldron. The day we all went to Diagon Alley and..._____. You're hurt..." she says.

"Penni. You need to get yourself out... Follow the chamber...You'll find Peter..." you whisper weakly.

There is a rush of wings and Fawkes circles down, lays his head onto your arm.

"You were amazing, Fawkes. I just...wasn't quick enough." You smile feebly. 

You blink and look down. Thick pearly tears are trickling down Fawkes' face and onto your arm. Almost instantly, your wound begins to heal itself.

"Of course. Strange told me. Phoenix tears have healing powers." You look up at Penni and smile out of relief, and joyousness, "It's all right. It's over. It's- its all just a memory..."  
_

With Fawkes gliding gracefully ahead of you and Penni, you make your way back up to Peter and Summers. Up ahead, shifting rocks can be heard and a jagged fissure of light glimmers. Peter's face appears.

"Penni!" He yells. Peter wriggles through, and rushes forward and hugs Penni.

"You're alive. I can't believe it." He says.

He turns and clobbers into your arms, taking you by surprise.

"Thank god you're both okay." Peter says.

"I'm going to be expelled, I just know it!" Penni cries.

Peter turns to you, "Remind you of anyone?"

"Where's Summers?" You ask. You then eye Summers, sitting by himself, humming placidly.

"His Memory Charm backfired. Hasn't got a clue who he is. I keep having to stop him wandering  
off. He's a danger to himself." Peter says. 

"Hello. Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here? No." Summers nods, looking off. 

Peter turns, and raises his eyebrows at you.

You look upward. There is an opening, hundreds of feet up. Just then, Fawkes circles back, fluttering in front of you.

"What's with the bird?" Peter asks.

"I think...I think he's telling me he can take us out of here." You say.  
_

You, Peter, Penni and Summers soar out of the darkness, linked hand in hand. Fawkes is flying you home.

"Amazing! This is just like magic!" Summers yells.

Oh dear.  
_

You and Peter, covered in muck and slime, stand in Stranges office. Fawkes perches on a pedestal behind Strange, who sits at his desk, examining the charred diary. He looks up, regarding you and Peter gravely.

"Ingenious. Simply...ingenious. Of course, Santho Molrida was probably the most brilliant student Midgards has ever seen. I taught him myself fifty years ago. After he left, I would occasionally hear  
stories of his activities- dark rumors, but after awhile, even the rumors stopped. When he finally resurfaced as Thanos, most people had completely forgotten the clever Head Boy he'd once been." 

"I didn't know whose diary it was, sir. I swear." Penni turns to you both, "The day we all went to Diagon Alley."

"You don't mean- Penni that couldn't have been the diary I gave to you?" Peter says. "I found it in my caldron, I didn't want it, so when we met up with Penni later, I...gave it to her."

"You had no idea the power it possessed Mr. Parker." Strange says. 

Hearing this, you frown in thought, recollecting...

"But I understand if... given all the trouble I've caused...if you-" Penni stumbles. 

"Wiser wizards than you have been hoodwinked by Thanos, Miss Parker. No, I think you've endured enough. I would suggest a bit of bed rest, however. And perhaps a large mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up. T'Challa, will you show Penni's Parents up to the hospital wing?"

"Certainly, Stephen." T'Challa says, walking with Penni.

As they exit, you and Peter watch them go. Then turn back, only to see Strange regarding you gravely once more.

"You two realize, of course, that in the last few hours, you have broken perhaps a dozen school rules?" 

"Yes, sir." You and Peter say in unison.

"Therefore, it seems only fitting...That you both receive Special Awards for Services to the School  
And- let me see yes, I think two hundred points apiece, which, I believe, should be more than enough to secure Gryffindor the House Cup."

You almost yell. With all do respect sir, I almost died so can I get something other than house points?

"Thank you, sir." You say through gritted teeth.  
Peter nods in agreement.

"Now, Mr. Parker, if you would, have an owl deliver these release papers to Azkaban. We need Mr. Banner back." Strange smiles.

Peter nods, takes the envelope and exits.

"First, _____, I want to thank you. You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you. Secondly, I sense you're troubled by something. Am  
I right?" He says.

"It's just, you see, sir, I...couldn't help noticing certain things. Certain similarities. Between Santho Molrida and me." You say nervously.

"You can speak Parseltongue, _____, because Thanos can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much  
mistaken, he transformed some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar." Strange says.

"Thanos put a bit of himself in me?" You say, repulsed.

"Not intentionally, but...yes." Strange says. 

"So the Sorting Hat was right. I should be a Slytherin." You say looking down. 

"It's true, _____. You do possess many of the qualities Thanos himself prizes. Resourcefulness. Determination. A certain disregard for the rules. Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor."

"Only because I asked it to." You mutter.

"Exactly. Which makes you very different from Thanos. It's not our abilities that show what  
we truly are, _____. It's our choices." He smiles at you,"If you want proof that you belong in Gryffindor, ______, I suggest you look more closely at this."

Strange hands the bloodstained sword to you. An engraved name glimmers above the ruby-encrusted hilt. It reads: Godric Gryffindor.'

He gazes at you with a genuine smile, "Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the Hat."

Suddenly, Adrien Toomes bursts in, dragging, goodness, Nightcrawler by the ear.

_

"Nightcrawler! This is your Master? The family you serve is the Toomes?" You ask.

Nightcrawler nods, chagrined. Adrien Toomes brushes past you, "Out of my way, Marvel." He says, then he turns to face Strange, "So! You've returned!"

"Yes. When the governors heard that Penni Parker had been taken into the Chamber, they saw fit to summon me back." Strange gives a wry smile, "Curiously, several of them seemed under the impression that you would curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place, Adrien." 

"From the beginning, my only concern has been the welfare of this school and its students. I assume the culprit has been identified." Adrien says nonchalantly.

"Oh yes. It was Thanos. Only this time, he chose to act through someone else. By means of...this."

As Strange nudges the diary toward Adrien Toomes, you see Nightcrawler nod meaningfully from the diary to Adrien.

"Fortunately, our young Ms. Marvel discovered it." Suddenly he has a chill to his voice, "One only hopes that no more of Thanos' old school things find their way into innocent hands. The consequences for the one responsible could be...severe."

Adrien Toomes stares icily at Strange, then turns away.

"Come, Nightcrawler. We're leaving." 

As Nightcrawler scuttles toward the door, Adrien kicks him through it, then exits himself. You stare at the empty doorway as Nightcrawlers painful squeals echo from the corridor.

"Sir? I wonder if I could have that." You say. 

Strange looks up, and follows your eyes to the diary.  
_

As the lift opens, you dash out.

"Mr. Toomes! I have something of yours." You run to him and thrust the diary into his hands.

"Mine? I don't know what you're talking about." He scoffs.

"I think you do, sir. I think you slipped it into Peter Parker's cauldron that day in Diagon Alley. You thought the diary would take him, having no idea he would gift it to his cousin, Penni Parker." You say triumphantly.

Adrien shoves the diary into Nightcrawler's face, then leans close to you and, with a nasty grin, whispers, "Prove it!" 

Adrien turns away. As Nightcrawler looks sadly back, clutching the diary in his hand, you mouth the words: "Open it." 

Nightcrawler looks down curiously. Inside...is a sock. He gasps.

"Crawler, come! Nightcrawler!" Adrien yells.

Nightcrawler looks all around in wonderment, "Master has given Nightcrawler a sock. Master has presented Nightcrawler with clothes. Nightcrawler is...free!"

"What? I didn't-" Adrien wheels, and notices your standing with one leg crossed. Your right ankle is bare. Instantly, Adrien charges forth.

"You've lost me my servant!" 

"You shall not harm _____ Marvel!" Nightcrawler says. He steps between you and Adrien and- BANG! Adrien flies backwards, lands in a crumpled heap. Rising, he stares murderously at you.

"Mark my words, _____ Marvel. You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days.  
They were meddlesome fools too." With that, he turns, storms off. As he walks away you stick your tongue out at him. 

"Ms. Marvel freed Nightcrawler! How is Nightcrawler ever to repay her?" Nightcrawler cries.

"Just promise me something." You say.

"Anything, miss." He says. 

"Never try to save my life again."

Nightcrawler grins then and- CRACK! He's gone.  
_

Fear and suspicion banished, the House tables abuzz with excitement and anticipation, all except the Slytherins, who do not share the general feeling.

Seated at the tables, are the formerly petrified, revived students. Rhodey Rupert joins his fellow Hufflepuffs. Phil Coleson snaps photos of the proceedings.

At the rear of the hall, standing near the entrance, Lee is reunited with Goose. Then, Michelle enters. Finally, she sees you and Peter. She smiles and runs forward and embraces you.

"You solved it! You solved it!" She cries.

"With loads of help from you." You smile.

She turns to embrace Peter. They pause, an awkward moment between them and, shake hands instead. They were odd children.

"Welcome back, Michelle." Peter says. 

T'Challa taps his goblet. Strange stands.

"Before we begin our feast, let's give a round of applause to Professor Groot and Madame Khan, whose Mandrake Juice has been successfully administered to all those who had been petrified."  
Everyone applauds.

"Also, in the wake of recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled."

Everyone cheers, including yourself, except for Michelle who looks as if she's contemplating death.

At the rear of the Hall, the great doors open. It's  
Bruce! He enters. Stops. Looks around. The room falls silent. All eyes upon him. He glances around. Nervous. Embarrassed.

"Sorry I'm late. The owl delivering my release papers got all lost and confused. Some bird named  
Errol." Bruce says.

Peter exchanges a nervous glance with Strange. Bruce looks at all of the faces staring at him. He turns to you.

"I just wanted to say... that if it wasn't for you,  
______... you and Peter and Michelle...Well, I just want to say...Thanks." He smiles.

"There's no Midgards without you, Bruce." You say. 

Strange gets to his feet and slowly brings his hands together. The others join him. Soon, everyone is on their feet and the Hall is roaring. 

As the students surround Bruce, he blinks, wipes at his eyes.  
_

"Peter! Wait up!" You call as everyone is walking to the train. 

"Yeah?" He calls, stopping.

"I'm sorry it was such a crummy year. I'm sorry I'm cursed, but... I couldn't have made it to the Chamber without you." You smile. 

"Are you kidding? You're my best friend. I'd- I'd follow you anywhere." He grins. 

You heart thumps in your chest. You drop your bags to wrap your arms around him. And he does the same. After a moment or two, Peter speaks, "W-we should go to the train." 

You pull away, his face is bright red.

"Oh, Yeah. We probably should." You respond, just as red. 

All the bad stuff was finally over, at least for now.

End of Year 2


	16. The Knight Bus

The doorbell chimes and a shrill voice thunders,  
"_____! _____!"

You bound down the stairs and into the front hall, where Aunt Frigga and cousin Hela stand stiffly. Frigga flicks a bit of fluff from Hela's sweater, then she glowers crossly at you, and jerks her head toward the door.

"Well, go on. Open it." She says.

You reach for the knob when- BLAM! It bursts open, revealing a tall, very square, stern faced woman. 

It was your Aunt Amora and her large waddling bulldog Ripper. Uncle Odin lurches forward out of the teeming rain outside, an enormous suitcase in hand, and drops it on you, and you nearly collapse under the weight.

"Amora, Welcome! How was the train?" Aunt Frigga asks. 

"Horrible, Ripper got sick." Amora grumbles. 

"Ah. How...unfortunate." Frigga says through a fake smile.

You hold back a snicker, having a dog in the house was going to make Aunt Frigga miserable, she hated disorder.

"I would've left him with the others, but he pines so when I'm away. Don't you, darling?" Aunt Amora puckers her lips at Ripper and leads him down the hallway. She breeds dogs for a living, you think she would be able to handle not having a dog with her for one weekend.

You follow your Uncle Odin, "Uncle Odin, I need you to sign this form." 

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Something for...school." He eyes the bit of parchment in your hand suspiciously, it was your Midsmead permission form.

"Hm, later perhaps, if you behave." 

"I will if she does." You say through gritted teeth. 

Aunt Amora eyes you as you walk into the kitchen, "So. Still here, are you?" 

"Yes." 

"Don't say 'yes' in that ungrateful tone. Good of my brother to keep you, if you ask me." She turns to your Aunt and Uncle, and says, as if you aren't there, "It'd have been straight to an orphanage if she'd been dumped on my doorstep."

Just then Hela, sitting comatose before the TV, emits a hollow, brain-dead chuckle. 

"Is that my Little La! Hm? Is that my wonderful niece? Come and say hello to your Auntie Amora."

Amora flashes a thick wad of cash. Hela blinks, then strides forward, and extends her thin boney palm obediently. You look on, and see Ripper snuffling about his ankle. That was the life compared to what was about to happen.   
_

As you clear the dinner dishes, Uncle Odin brings out a bottle of brandy.

"Can I tempt you, Amora?" He smiles. Though, he looked a bit like a rat. 

"Just a small one. A bit more...a bit more... That's the boy." She takes a sloppy sip, "Aah. Excellent nosh, Frigga. It's normally just a quick meal for  
me, what with twelve dogs." She smacks her lips, lowers her brandy, and lets Ripper take a slobbery lap out of the glass; then catches you looking on in disgust.

"What are you smirking at! Where is it that you send her, Odin?" Amora says.

"St. Bertha's. It's a first-rate girls institution for hopeless cases." Odin answers.

Hearing this, you frown, and you Uncle glares darkly at you.

"I see. And do they use the cane at St. Bertha's, girl?"

"Oh, yeah. I've been beaten loads of times." You say sarcastically. 

"Excellent. I won't have this namby-pamby wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it." She takes another sip of brandy, "Still. Mustn't blame yourself for how this one's turned out. It all comes down to blood. Bad blood will out. What is it the girls father did, Frigga?"

Your Aunt looks quite agitated, "Nothing. That is... he didn't work. He was- unemployed."

"Of course. And a drunk, I expect-"

She's cut off by your suddenly harsh voice, 

"That's a lie."

Aunt Amora pauses on her wine, eyes narrowing on you, "What did you say?"

"My dad wasn't a drunk."

POP! The glass in Aunt Amora's hand explodes.

"Oh my goodness! Amora!" Frigga exclaims.

"Not to worry, Frigga. I have a very firm grip." Amora reassures her.

You stare at the shattered glass in surprise.

"I think it's time you go to bed." Your Uncle glowers at you.

"Quiet, Odin. It doesn't matter about the father. In the end it comes down to the mother. You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup-"

Your face turns bright red, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" 

Aunt Amora starts to reply when- TING! a button on her dress sails into the air, seams groan and threads snap. Amora's eyes widen. Her cheeks begin to fill and puff out. Her whole body billows and begins to inflate like a monstrous balloon.

"Amora!" Uncle Odin yells. 

As she rises, Uncle Odin leaps for her. Ripper growls and fixes his teeth to his trousers. You, frightened by what you've done, watch Aunt Amora bounce gently across the ceiling and into the patio, which is open to the outside.

You clamber upstairs, desperately gathering all your school things before anyone notices your disappearance, you place your heel to a loose floorboard and remove your wand from its hiding place. Turning, you snatch the photography of your parents from your nightstand, and shove everything in your trunk.

You grab the trunk and tow it behind you and hold your wand tightly in the other hand as you make your way to the front door.

Uncle Odin is waiting for you at the foot of the stairs, "YOU BRING HER BACK! YOU BRING HER BACK RIGHT NOW AND MAKE HER NORMAL!" 

"No! She deserved what she got! And you...you keep away from me." You say, pointing your wand at his throat. 

Uncle Odin eyes your wand nervously, then grins with knowing cruelty.

"You're not allowed to do magic out of school. They won't have you now. You've got nowhere to go."

You realize it's true. Letting his blow hit you, you briefly falter, before snapping back, "Anywhere's better than here."  
_

You storm out of the house, your trunk in tow. 

You walk.

Walk. 

Walk. 

Then stop.

You have an eerie feeling, you glance about. There's just an empty playground. Swings creak in the wind gently on rusted chains. A tiny carousel is turning slowly.

You drop the trunk and sit. Deep in the night, an   
alarm shrieks then, goes silent. You, stay still as a statue, just listening. In the trees above, leaves tremble. The wind gathers.

You turn, and study the swaying swings, then the carousel. Then, you become stiff. Jerking back, you sense something in the shadows across the street, you rise and slowly draw your wand.

Then you see... it. Something big. Darker than the shadows which conceal it. Something with gleaming midnight fur and piercing yellow eyes. 

You stumble backwards, afraid to look, wand outstretched, you trip back, and tumble over the forgotten trunk. The tip of your wand blazes, then   
BANG! Twin beams of blinding light spear the night.

You grunt loudly. And look at the pair of headlights bearing down the road, you roll clear- just as a hideously purple, triple decker bus, screeches to a halt. Gold letters glimmer above the windshield: The Knight Bus.

The doors hiss, and snap back. There is a boy, who looks about 18, in a wrinkled conductors uniform.   
He has deep circles under his eyes, messy black hair and light brown skin. He looks like he hasn't slept well in months.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus. Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Nova Alexander, and I will be your conductor this evening." He looks down to you on the ground, "What are you doing down there?"

"Fell over." You say getting up and dusting yourself off. 

"What'd you fall over for?" 

"I didn't do it on purpose." You say defensively.

He eyes you suspiciously, "Well, come on then. Let's not wait for the grass to grow." He grabs you trunk.

You peer into the shadows across the street, looking for the dark figure, but it wasn't there anymore, you sigh and climb aboard.

Inside the bus there are no seats, only beds. The brass frames need a shine, and the linens need a wash. In one bed, a disheveled witch grunts and turns over in her sleep.

Behind the wheel, an unshaven wizard in thick glasses, stares straight ahead, his armpits stained with sweat. A...shrunken head dangles from the rearview mirror, muttering incessantly through the stitches that lace its mouth.

"Take her away." Nova says, nocking on the door to the front seat.

"Yeah, take it away!" The head says.

BANG! The unshaven wizard rockets away and the beds, as one, slide six inches to the rear. You collapse onto the bed nearest, and peer up at the chandler swaying directly above your head. Beyond the windshield oncoming traffic whips past in a blur.

"What'd you say your name was again?" Nova asks.

"I didn't." 

Nova, standing near the front of the bus, peeks over The Daily Prophet, and eyes you coolly, before disappearing once more. You quickly brush your hair over your scar. 

"Where are you heading?" Nova yawns.

You hesitate. You hadn't thought about this.

"The Leaky Cauldron. That's in London-" you start.

"Is it now? Get that? The Leaky Cauldron. That's in London." He laughs, then grins with sinister delight.

"Leaky Cauldron! Stay away from the pea soup!"  
As the Shrunken Head cackles, you peer out one of the windows, and watch London flash by.

"Isn't this a bit...dangerous?" You ask.

"Naah. Haven't had an accident in, what? A week?" Nova shrugs.

"Heads up! Little old lady at twelve o'clock!" The shrunken head yells. 

Directly ahead, a old lady is crossing the street. The driver hits the brakes hard and you fly forward, and slam against the window. 

The brakes pinch down, the bus stops inches from the old lady, and you fly back onto your bed. After she crosses, BANG! The bus rockets forward once more.

You fix your disheveled hair and clothes, and glance back at Nova, on the headline of the his Daily Prophet it reads: ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN! Below, a sunken-faced man with greasy, matted hair glowers from a moving photograph. 

"Who is that? That man." You point.

"Who is that? That's Tony Stark, that is. Don't tell me you've never heard of Tony Stark?" Nova says in awe. 

You shake your head, still staring at the man's face.

"He's a murderer. Got himself locked up in Azkaban for it." 

"How'd he escape?" You ask. 

"That's the question, isn't it? He's the first one that's done it. Gives me the chills thinking he's out there, though, I'll tell you that. Big supporter of You-Know-who, Stark was. Reckon you heard of him." Nova snorts. 

You nod and, as you do, on the magic photograph, Starks eyes shift and meet yours.

"Yeah. Him, I've heard of."


	17. A Killer on the Loose

The chandelier sways as the bus doors open. The steps of the Leaky Cauldron groan with heavy feet and a figure appears; it was the Innkeeper of the Leaky Cauldron pub.

"Ms. Marvel...at last." He says.

As the Knight Bus rockets off, you glance over, but the bus is already gone. The Innkeeper drags your trunk inside. 

You trail him through the quiet pub. The bartender glances up, his gaze lingering perhaps a bit too long. A solitary wizard reads a book while, at his elbow, his coffee cup stirs itself. The innkeeper leads you upstairs.

As you follows him into a room, you catch a glimpse of a snow white owl. 

"Hedwig!" You exclaim. She jumps off her perch and flies onto your arm and nudges you lovingly, you stroke her wing gently. It must've felt good to finally get out of her cage. 

"Smart bird you've got there, Ms. Marvel. Arrived only minutes before yourself." The Innkeeper says.

A man clears his throat behind you. You turn, to find a pinstriped silhouette at the window, staring at the ghostly shadows beyond. Your reflection shivers  
in the glass, but the man doesn't turn.

"I should tell you, Ms. Marvel, earlier this evening your uncle's sister was located just south of  
Sheffield, circling a chimney stack. The Accidental Magic Reversal Department was dispatched and she's been properly punctured and her memory modified. She has no recollection of the incident  
whatsoever." Then the man turns.

It's Thaddeus Ross, Minister of Magic.

"So that's that, and no harm done. Pea soup?" He offers, smiling. 

You glance warily from the steaming tureen of green sludge to the unclean innkeeper, who is now working a grimy thumb into his gum, and spitting out bits of walnut shell.

"Uh, No thank you. Minister...I don't understand. I broke the law. Underage wizards aren't allowed to use magic outside of school-" you begin. 

Ross begins dishing himself a bowl of soup, "Oh, come now,______. The Ministry doesn't send people to Azkaban for blowing up their aunts! On the other hand...running away like that... given the state of things...very, very irresponsible."

"What do you mean by the state of things, sir?" You ask sheepishly. 

"We have a killer on the loose." 

"Tony Stark, you mean. But...what's that got to do with me?" 

"Hm? Oh, nothing. You're safe, that's what matters. Tomorrow you'll be on your way to Midgards. These are your new schoolbooks. I took the liberty of having them brought here for you." He smiles once more, and motions to a stack of textbooks. 

You eye the stack of books. One is bound by a belt and very furry. 

"By the way,_____. Whilst you're here it would be best if you didn't...wander."   
_

You exit your room, preparing to go downstairs to eat breakfast. Suddenly, something small and fast dashes by your feet. 

Looking, you spy a rather ragged-looking rat, being pursued by a pudgy-faced orange cat. There could only be two people with pets like that... 

As you move down the stairs, arguing voices come from below,

"I'm warning you, Michelle! Keep that bloody beast of yours away from Nebula or I'll turn it into a tea cozy." 

"He's a cat, Peter! What do you expect? It's in his nature." 

As you reach the bottom, you find Peter Parker  
protectively cradling Nebula the rat, while Michelle Jones does her best to restrain a her hissing cat, Crookshanks.

"A cat! Is that what they told you? Looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me." Peter snaps.

"Oh, That's rich coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush." She scoffs then begins cooing to her cat, "It's all right, Crookshanks. You  
just ignore the mean little boy..."

Then, Peter finally notices your grinning at the bottom of the stairs, "______!"   
_

Peter shows you a clipping from The Daily Prophet.  
In the accompanying photo, Peter's entire extended family stands before the Great Pyramids, waving. Smack in the middle is Peter, Nebula perched on his shoulder.

As Peter smoothes the dog-eared clipping onto the table, you study it. Peter looks quite nice with his tan.

Michelle ignores it, stroking Crookshanks.

"Egypt! Wow...I mean, what's it like?" You exclaim.

"Brilliant. It's got loads of old stuff. Mummies. Death masks. Tombs-" Peter lists.

"You know, the ancient Egyptians of the Nile River delta worshipped the cat goddess Bast." Michelle says smugly. 

Peter glares stonily at Michelle, then turns back to you.

"I got a new wand...and, ummm, I got something for you." 

Just then, a commotion is heard. Peter's Aunt May walks in with a man you'd never seen, and so does Peter's cousin Pepper, laden with purchases from Diagon Alley.

"Not flashing that clipping about again, are you, Peter?" Pepper asks.

"I haven't shown anyone!" Peter says defensively.

"No, not a soul. Unless you count Tom. The day maid. The night maid. The cook. The guy that came to fix the toilet. That wizard from Belgium..." she rattles off. 

"It's good to see you,_____." May says walking up to you and giving you a tight hug, "I don't think you've met my husband, he's been in Egypt, and Romania he's a curse breaker, and works with dragons, you see." She motions toward a handsome looking man, who's wearing a shabby suit. He shakes your hand.

"Ah, Miss. Marvel. I was wondering when I'd get the pleasure of meeting you. Peter talks about you all the time." 

"Agh, no I don't, Uncle Ben." Peter says defensively.

May laughs and then turns back to you, "I wonder if I might have a word."

"Of course, May." You nod.

You notice May glance edgily at the fugitive poster tacked to the wall. In it is Tony Stark, under are the words, "Have You Seen This Man?"

May leads you to a corner of the room and looks around wearily, "There are some within the Ministry who would strongly discourage me from divulging what I'm about to tell you. But I think you need to know the facts. Because you're in danger. Grave  
danger." She says shakily.

Your eyes drift to the fugitive poster.

"Has this anything to do with him, ma'am?" You ask.

"What do you know of Tony Stark, ______?"

"That he escaped from Azkaban. That he killed someone..." you mumble. 

"Thirteen years ago, when you stopped..." May hesitates, unable to continue.

"Thanos...?" You say. 

She nods nervously, "Stark lost everything. But he remains a loyal servant to this day. In his mind, only you stand in the way of..." 

Once again, May hesitates.

"Thanos...?" You say once more.

"______, I hate it when you say-"

"I know, sorry. Peter hates it too." You frown.

"In Starks mind, only you stand in the way of... You-Know-Who returning to power. That's why he's broken. That's why he's broken out of Azkaban. To find you. And..."

May hesitates yet again.

"Kill me?" You say, holding back a groan.

May nods, nervously.

"_____. I want you to promise that- whatever you might hear- you won't go looking for Stark."

"With all do respect May, why would I go looking  
for someone who wants to kill me?" You say stiffly.

May nods, then touches your cheek lovingly.

"Just watch yourself, will you, _____?" 

You nod solemnly then sigh, it's seems Stark was just another person who wanted you dead.  
_  
As the Midgards Expresses engines fire up, you look over at the milling horde of students. Parents hurry their children onboard, tiny siblings wave goodbyes. You look and see Peter's Uncle Ben dash through the throng and up to an open train window.

He hands Peter his rat through the open window to him, and hugs him quickly. You smile, a bit pained, and let an ache of loneliness wave through you.   
_

The aisle teems with students. You, Peter, Michelle and Ned work your way down the aisle, looking for an empty compartment.

"I didn't mean to blow her up. I just..." The memory troubles you, "lost control."

"Brilliant!" Ned says, laughing. 

"Honestly, Ned, it's not funny. ______ is lucky she wasn't expelled." Michelle says sternly. 

"I still think it was brilliant." Ned shrugs.

Michelle rolls her eyes and looks into a compartment, "C'mon. We're in here." 

As you slip inside, you see a man in shabby robes, slumped against the window, asleep. He looks ill, and exhausted. The four of you eye him warily.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Peter whispers.

"Professor S.G. Rogers." Michelle says.

"You know everything. How is it she knows everything?" Peter says.

"It's on his case, Peter." Michelle says, agitated.

She points. Stamped in peeling letters on a battered case is "Professor S.G. Rogers."

"Is he really asleep?" You ask.

"Seems to be." Ned shrugs.

"Why? What is it, _____?" Peter asks.

"Close the door." You whisper, glancing at the sleeping professor once more.

Michelle rises, slides the door shut, and Peter exchanges a curious glance with Ned.  
_

Storm clouds, like dark ghosts, toss sheets of rain onto the train windows as it heads north.

Everyone is starring at you, their faces stricken in the lantern light that now glows in the compartment.

"Let me get this straight. Tony Stark escaped from Azkaban to come after you?" Peter asks, dumbfounded. 

"Yes." You murmur.

"But they'll catch Stark, won't they? I mean... eventually?" Ned asks.

"Sure- Of course, no one's ever broken out of Azkaban before and he's a raving, murderous lunatic..." Peter says.

Just then, the train lurches, and begins to slow. You slide down your seat, pinning Peter against the window. He grabs your hand. The two of you exchange an awkward glance.

Michelle looks at her watch, then frowns, "Why're we stopping? We can't be there yet..."

You rise, shake off Peter's hand, then slide open the door, and peer into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads look out curiously. Then the train jerks, and the car sways and the lamps running along the ceiling flicker and die, one by one until all is dark.

"What's going on?" Peter asks, his breath is foggy, and the air is suddenly cold. For some odd reason everything feels dreadful.

"Dunno... Maybe we've broken down?" You plop back down next to Peter.

He presses his cheek to the window and looks side to side, "There's something moving out there. I think... people are coming aboard." 

The car sways violently then with a jolt, then rights itself. The trim at Peter's fingertips begins to vibrate.

"What's happening?" Ned asks.

When suddenly, a hand, slimy and scabbed; a hand of death, grabs the the half-open compartment door, and pushes it aside.

There stands a horrifying creature. It's a towering, cloaked figure, its face hidden beneath its black hood. It's skin grey, and hands scabbed and bony.

The folds of it's hood tremble. It breathes in a chill, rattling breath. 

A sound swells in your ears. Eerie. Painful. The sound of a woman screaming. Your eyes roll up, eyelids fluttering. The screaming is so loud. The woman...you have to help her. Where is she? Why can't you help her?  
_

With a desperate gasp you open your eyes and blink  
dusk is now gone, the windows are pitch black. The floor on your back is shaking gently. The train is  
moving again.

"_____?_____, are you all right?" Peters troubled face hovers inches away from yours. 

You blush, and then nod.

You touch your forehead, it's drenched in cold sweat. 

SNAP! You glance over, it's Professor Rogers, breaking a ragged triangle of...chocolate? Off the slab in his hands. He holds it out.

"Chocolate. Eat. It'll help." Rogers says.

"What was that- that thing?" You ask.

"A Dementor. One of the guards of Azkaban. It's gone now." Rogers says, he sounds a bit angry.

You frown in confusion.

"It was searching the train,_____. For Tony Stark."   
Michelle says.

"I need to have a word with the driver. Excuse me." Rogers gets up and grabs his things, and gives you the rest of the chocolate. "Eat. It'll help."

You snap off a corner of the chocolate bar.

As he leaves, you turn to Peter, Ned and Michelle.

"What happened to me?" 

"Well, you sort of went... rigid. We thought maybe you were having a fit or something." Ned says. 

"I was trembling. Cold. But then... Professor Rogers made it go away..." Michelle says nervously.

"And did any of you? You know... pass out?" You ask.

"No. I felt...weird. Like I'd never be cheerful again. But...no." Peter says.

You turn to Michelle and Ned. They both shake their heads.

"But...someone was screaming. A woman." You say desperately.

Michelle shares a glance with Peter. This makes you feel funny, like they we bonding over the fact you were some kind of freak. Michelle looks at you. 

"No one was screaming, ______."  
_

At the High Table, your new teacher Professor Rogers sits with Professor Laufeyson, Professor T'Challa, Bruce and Headmaster Strange. 

You look along the faces of the kids choir, singing to the strains of a harpsichord, and see a quintet of singing toads. (According to Ned, his very own toad Han, was one of them.) You glance at Ned, he looks at his toad with pride. 

As the choir's song concludes, Strange rises, beaming over the sea of students.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Midgards! I have a few things to say, before we become befuddled by our excellent feast. I myself am particularly looking forward to the flaming kiwi cups; first, I'm pleased to welcome Professor S.G. Rogers, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Good luck to you, Professor."

Amid scattered applause, you and your friends clap extra loudly. 

"Of course! That's why he knew to give you the chocolate." Michelle says 

"As some of you may know, our last Care of Magical Creatures teacher for many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce that his place will be filled by none other than our own Bruce Banner." 

You, Peter, and Michelle stare at each other, stunned, then applaud vigorously. Bruce turns ruby red.

Strange's tone turns grave, "Finally, on a more disquieting note, Midgards- at the request of the Ministry of Magic will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban." 

A murmur of apprehension fills the hall. At the Slytherin table, Liz Allen, flanked by the ever- present Betty Brant and Flash Thompson, catches your eye, feigns a faint, making fun of you. 

You shoot a death glare back.

"The Dementors will be stationed at the entrances to the grounds. While they are under strict orders not to enter the castle itself, you will on occasion see them as you go about your daily activities. Under no  
circumstances are you to approach them. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving."  
_

You, Peter and Michelle arrive at the seventh floor landing and approach the Fat Lady in the portrait, and say the password.

The other Gryffindors trail through the common room, the girls heading one way, boys the other.

Later, while those around you sleep, you take out the photograph of your parents, and set it next to your bed, then glance around in quiet contentment. There's no place like home.  
_

You, Peter and Michelle sit on fat little pouffes in a murky, incense-laden room, along with Ned, Luke Cage, Remy LeBeau, Gwen Stacy, Janet Van Dyne and a few others you didn't know. 

A voice flutters into the room, "Welcome, my children. In this room, you shall explore the mysterious art of Divination. In this room, you shall discover if you possess..."

A emerald green scrim flutters and the divination Professor, glides dramatically into view, eyes huge and bug-like behind enormous glasses.

Peter begins laughing.

"...the Sight. Hello. I am Professor Delphi. Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future. But know this. One either has the Gift or not. It cannot be divined from the pages of a book. Books only cloud one's Inner Eye."

"What rubbish." Michelle whispers under her breath.

Professor Delphi frowns at Michelle.

"Where'd you come from?" Peter asks her.

"I've been here all along." She says nonchalantly. 

You shrug.

Professor Delphi spins around and stairs at Ned.

"You, boy! Is your mother well?" She asks.

"I...I think so." Ned says nervously.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Delphi says patting him on the shoulder. 

Ned shares an astounded look with you.

"The first term will be devoted to the reading of tea leaves. If all goes well, we will proceed to palmistry, fire omens, and finally...the crystal ball. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And in late spring, one of our number will... leave us  
forever." 

Everyone exchanges uneasy glances, Delphi smiles.

"Well then shall we?"   
_

Inside your cup, a cloud of tea leaves swish around oddly. You frown at the leaves, looking for a corresponding symbol in the textbook at your elbow. Delphi walks amongst everyone, robes flowing.

"Broaden your minds, my dears. And allow your eyes to see... beyond." Delphi takes Gwen Stacys cup, and peers inside.

"A five-leaf clover...You can expect to wake with a horrible rash tomorrow morning, dear." Delphi turns to Ned casually, "Mr. Leeds, after you've broken your first cup..."

CA-CHINK! Ned fumbles the cup in his hands and the brittle crash of china is heard.

"...would you be so kind as to select one of the blue ones? I'm rather partial to the pink." 

She stops by Peter, "What do you see in Ms. Marvels  
cup, Mr. Parker?"

"Well. She's got a wonky sort of cross- that's trials and suffering. But this lot here could be a heart- that's finding true love. So...she's going to suffer a lot but love it?" He says.

Professor Delphi takes the cup, peers inside, and then yells. She drops the cup and it shatters onto the floor.

"What is it, Professor?" Janet asks.

Delphi regards you with a mixture of pity and fear.

"My dear girl... You have the Grim."

"The Grin? What's the Grin?" Remy asks.

"Not the grin, you idiot." Janet says. 

"The Grim." Luke corrects, "But what does it mean, Professor?" 

"The Grim..."

Everyone turns, and sees Gwen Stacy bent over her textbook.

"Taking the form of a giant spectral dog, it is among the darkest omens in our world. It is an omen...of death."

You peer into your cup. The leaves shift, suddenly all you can see in the cup is the face of Tony Stark, staring back at you murderously.


	18. Care of Magical Creatures

You, Peter and Michelle emerge from the castle the and make your way toward Bruce's hut. The Whomping Willow looms in the distance.

"Death omens. Honestly. If you ask me, Divination's a very wooly discipline. Now Ancient Runes. That's a fascinating subject." Michelle complains.

"Ancient Runes? Exactly how many classes are you taking this term?" You ask.

"A fair few." She says.

"Hang on. Ancient Runes is the same time as Divination. You'd have to be in two classes at once." Peter says.

"Don't be silly. How could anyone be in two classes at once? Broaden your minds!" She exclaims, mimicking Delphi.

"Well all I know is from now on I don't care if my tea leaves spell 'Die Peter, Die,' I'm chucking them in the bin where they belong." Peter exclaims.

_

Students gather around Bruce as you, Peter and Michelle arrive. Liz Allen, Betty Brant, and Flash Thompson stand with the Slytherins.

"Come on now, get a move on! Got a real treat for you. Great lesson coming up. Follow me." Bruce leads everyone toward a small paddock inside of the Forbidden Forest. In the paddock, a freestanding iron rack hangs with dead ferrets, buzzing with flies. 

"Gather around. Find yourselves a spot. That's it. Now, first thing you'll want to do is open your books." Bruce says.

"And exactly how do we do that?" Liz snorts. 

You glance at your own book. It's quite scary, almost like a living thing, plus it had tried to attack you over break.

Bruce looks, "Oh, Didn't you know? All you've got to do is stroke them. Look," Bruce takes Michelles copy, then snaps the Spellotape binding it. As it begins to open its jaws, Bruce calmly runs a forefinger down the book's spine and it shivers and falls quietly open.

Bruce glances at the class, looking suddenly unsure.

"Right then. So- so...you've got your books, and now you need the Magical Creatures. Right. So...I'll- I'll go and get them." Bruce turns and disappears into the trees.

Liz shakes her head, and speaks loudly to Betty and Flash.

"God, this place is going to the dogs. Wait until my father hears Stranges' got this oaf teaching classes."  
Liz spits.

You turn to face her, "Listen, you stupid prat-"

Liz's eyes suddenly start widening in fear, she steps back, and points, "MARVEL, MARVEL LOOK OUT, there's a Dementor behind you!" 

You jump, and wheel around in fear, only to find...nothing. Instantly, the Slytherins lift the hoods of their robes and make an eerie sound, then break up laughing

You redden, embarrassed, then...

A strange beast emerges from the trees, it has the torso, hind legs, and tail of a horse, but the front legs, wings and head of a giant eagle. 

Everyone steps back in fear, then Bruce appears, shooing the beast on.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" Bruce smiles.

There seems no consensus on this, but the students stare in wary wonder nonetheless. As Bruce coaxes the beast to the center of the paddock, Peter stares uneasily.

"Uh, Bruce, Exactly what is that?"

"A Hippogriff, of course. Now, first thing you gotta know is they're proud. Easily offended. Don't ever  
insult one, because it might be the last thing you do. Right then- uh, who wants to come and say hello?" 

The entire class steps back, leaving you in front.

"Good girl, ____!" Bruce smiles.

You look around wearily, then reluctantly approach.

"That's it. Easy now... stop! This is Buckbeak, _____. You want to let him make the first move. It's just polite to him, see? Just take step forward, give him a bow, and if Buckbeak bows back, you're allowed to touch him. Ready?" Bruce says.

Unsure, you nod anyway. Carefully, you step forward. And bow. Buckbeak's head cocks, his eagle eyes studying you cannily. You wait. And wait...

"Back off, _____! Back off!" Bruce yells.

You start to step back, when, Buckbeak bows his head. Bruce sighs, relieved.

"Well done! Go on. Give him a pat." 

Tentatively, you reach out, and lay your hand on  
Buckbeak's fierce beak. The class claps. You grin. 

"Look at that! I suppose he might let you ride him!"  
Bruce says happily.

Your smile droops, "Excuse me?"

"We'll just set you behind the wing joint. Mind you don't pull any feathers out. He won't like that." 

Bruce morphs into Hulk and lifts you up, then sets you on Buckbeak, before you're settled, Hulk slaps Buckbeaks rear.

As Buckbeak gallops forward, you slide dangerously back, and giant wings unfold, huge and powerful, and -WHOOSH! they soar into the air. Rising higher. 

And higher.

And higher.

Gradually, you loosen your hold on Buckbeak's neck. Losing yourself in the joy of flying. Smiling at the sight of you and Buckbeak's shadow racing across the grass below. Circling over the Whomping Willow, past Midgards castle, and then swooping, with heart-stopping speed, over the Black Lake, Buckbeak's talons tickling the smooth glass of the water, summoning the giant squid to the surface briefly.

Bruce whistles then, and Buckbeak wheels, beating his way back to the paddock, galloping to a halt. As you slide off, the class cheers- all except Liz, who narrows her eyes maliciously.

"Good work, ____!" Bruce says, "how am I doing my first day?" He says under his breath.

"Brilliant, Professor." You grin.

Suddenly, Liz pushes past the both of you roughly.

"Give me a go at that thing. If Marvel can do it, it must be easy. You're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute-"

"Elizabeth! No!" Bruce yells.

In a flash, Buckbeak's steely talons slash down. Liz freezes. She looks down at the blood blossoming on her robes. She screams. Instantly, you dash forward. 

Buckbeak whips around, raises his talons and- seeing you lowers them, and ducks his beak. You realizing what you've done, breath heavily.

Bruce looks at Liz's arm. 

"It's killed me! It's killed me!" Liz shrieks.

"Calm yourself! You're fine... it's just a scratch..." Bruce says.

A deep gash glistens on Liz's limp arm. 

"Bruce! She's got to be taken to a hospital. I'll go with you, if you like-" Michelle says.

"No. I'm the teacher. You all...you all just...Class dismissed!" 

And with that, Bruce; looking shaken, helps up Liz, and they lumber toward the castle.  
_

Liz Allen, arm bound in a sling, holds court before a clot of Slytherins.

"Does it hurt terribly, Liz?" Flash asks.

"It comes and goes. Still...uh, I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Khan, another minute  
or two...and I could've uh, lost the arm." She says dramatically. 

You, Peter and Michelle watch from the Gryffindor table.

"The little git. She's really laying it on thick, isn't she?" Peter growls.

"At least Bruce didn't get sacked." You remind him.

"Yes. But I hear Liz's father is furious. I don't think we've heard the end of this..." Michelle frowns.

Suddenly loud gasps are heard a few heads down the table, and then Remy LeBeau speaks loudly, 

"He's been sighted!"

You turn. Remy and the other Gryffindors are huddled over a copy of The Daily Prophet.

"Who?" Peter calls. 

But the photograph on the Prophet's front page provides a chilling answer: Tony Stark. Michelle reads over the shoulders of others. And whispers half to herself.

"Achintee? That's not far from here..."

"You don't think he'd come to Midgards, do you?" Ned says nervously.

"With the Dementors at every entrance?" You ask.

"Dementors? He's already slipped by them once, hasn't he? Who's to say he can't do it again?" Janet Van Dyne responds.

A flicker of fear passes through your face. One of your classmates, Luke Cage, stairs grimly at the grainy image of Stark.

"That's right. Stark could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."  
_

A tall wardrobe rattles violently as you, Peter and several classmates regard it warily.

"Intriguing, yes? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?" Professor Rogers asks.

Remy answers in a hushed voice, "That's a Boggart."

"Very good, Mr. LeBeau. Can anyone tell us what a Boggart looks like?"

"No one knows." Michelle answers, seemingly appearing out of thin air.

Peter jumps, glances at Michelle, then whispers to you.

"When'd she get here?" 

You shrug, honestly having no idea. 

"Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears most. That's what makes it so-"

"Terrifying, yes. Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let's practice it now, shall we? Without wands, please...Riddikulus!" Professor Rogers says.

"Riddikulus." The class repeats in unison.

"This class is ridiculous." Liz mutters to her goons, her arm still wrapped in a sling. 

You resist the urge to give her a reason to actually need that sling. 

"Good. So much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really  
finishes a Boggart off is laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Ned, come up here, will you?" Professor Rogers beckons.

Ned looks stunned, and eyes the ratting wardrobe. He steps forward quietly.

"What would you say is the thing that frightens you most?" 

"Profter...Laughfson..." He mutters.

"Didn't catch that, Ned, sorry." 

"Professor Laufeyson." Ned says seriously.

Everyone laughs good-naturedly. Rogers nods thoughtfully.

"Hmmm...yes. Ned, I believe you live with your muggle mother?" 

"Yes, but I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either." Ned says.

"It won't. But I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, very clearly in your mind. Can you do that?" 

Ned closes his eyes, "She carries a red handbag..."

"That's fine. We don't need to hear it. If you see it, we will. Now, when I open this wardrobe, here's what I want you to do..." 

Rogers leans close to Ned, and whispers. Ned's eyes open wide in shock.

"You can do this, Ned." Rogers says confidently.

Ned nods nervously, and takes a deep breath.

"Right then. Wand at the ready. One. Two. Three!"   
Sparks jet from Rogers wand, strike the doorknob, and the wardrobe burst open. 

Instantly, Professor Laufeyson appears, his eyes flashing hideously as he stalks forward. Ned backs away in fright.

"Think, Ned. Think!"

"Riddikulus!" 

CRACK! Laufeyson stumbles in a flash of light and  
reappears, in a long, lance trimmed dress, large floppy sun hat, and a bulky, crimson snakeskin handbag. 

Instantly, the class roars with laughter (except for Liz and a few fellow Slytherins). Ned blinks, amazed, then slowly, grins himself.

Rogers drops the needle on an old gramophone. As a  
a scratch song fills the room, he points to Peter.

"Peter! Forward!" Rogers calls.

Laufeyson dissolves into a mad whirling mass, then mutates into a humongous spider. As Peter gasps, you and Michelle exchange an uncertain glance. 

Rogers puts his hands on Peter's shoulders to steady him. Peter raises his wand.

"Riddikulus!" 

CRACK! Large roller skates materialize on the spider's hairy feet and it begins to shuffle crazily in place. Instantly, Peter relaxes as the class' laugher rings out.

"Janet!" 

As Janet steps up, the spider spins faster and faster, a dizzying blur, then reappears as a vampire.

"Riddikulus!" 

The vampire whips its cloak across its eyes, the cloak reopens, the vampire is now dressed like a flapper, and has a large bowl of fruit on its head. As it begins to shimmy about, against its will; the class starts to clap.

"Mr. Cage!" Rogers calls.

As Luke steps up, the vampire's undulating body attenuates, its skin darkening with diamond-thatched scales, becoming a giant cobra.

"Riddikulus!"

The cobra's hooded head bobs back and forth, transforms into a jack-in-the-box. Rogers grins and calls for the next person to come up.

You smile and step forward expectantly. 

You look at the Jack-In-The-Box, it pivots on it's spring, it's face tumbling toward you. It's face, becoming more sinister, more terrifying with each passing second.

Suddenly everything you were afraid of flew through your head, you thought of Thanos first. But then you remember that night on the train, the dementor, how the world went cold.

Suddenly the music fades and a cloud of mist appears, and a dark hooded figure floats out of it. You start to raise you wand but then you freeze, transfixed.

In a flash, Professor Rogers steps between you and the dementor and snaps his wand, CRACK! The dementor vanishes, and the misty night sky takes its place. In the middle, a shining full moon appears. 

"Riddikulus!"

POP! The orb deflates like a punctured balloon, whizzes crazily about the room, then darts back into the wardrobe. The door slams shut and the class cheers. 

"Well done, everyone. I think that's enough  
excitement for today." Rogers says.

As the students exit, chattering loudly, only you,  
subdued, remain behind. At the doorway, Rogers glances back, and exchanges a private glance with you. As you exit, the wardrobe gives one last haunting rattle.


	19. Trips and Interruptions

That night, you and Peter sat together on the couch by the fire in the common room. For some reason you were viciously aware of how close Peter was to you.

"Why didn't he let me face it?" You frown.

"You could've gotten hurt. Rogers wouldn't have gotten in the way unless he knew that." Peter says.

"But still...it's only a Boggart. Everyone else must think I'm a freak. Well, more than usual."

"You're not a freak." Peter says seriously. 

You could feel the heat radiating off his a hand as he inched it closer to yours.

You were very alert of yourself all of a sudden. How did you smell? Was your uniform wrinkled?

You couldn't tell how long you'd been looking at Peter. He was closer now than you remembered. Very close. His hand was on yours now, and he was leaning across the couch. Your brain froze and suddenly shifted on auto-pilot and you began leaning in too. Whatever was about to happen, you welcomed it.

The gap was slowly closing, and your lips were about to touch his.

"Oh. I see I'm interrupting something." 

You and Peter shoot up. 

"Michelle!" Peter says. 

"I see you two are busy. Nevermind, I'm off to bed." She says flatly.

"Michelle, uh- it wasn't what you think, is something wrong?" You ask.

"I'm fine." 

"Are you sur-" 

"I said I'm fine _____!" She shouts and stomps upstairs and slams the door to the girls dormitories.

You walk towards the staircase but Peter grabs your hand. 

"_____, wait." 

You look him seriously, "We should go to bed." 

"But..." His shoulders slump, defeated. 

"Night Pete." You sigh as you walk dejectedly to your room.  
_

The next morning, a great buzzing queue of students, clutching their Midsmeade permission forms flow into a large group into the main courtyard.

Finally you spot Professor T'Challa across the way.

"Remember! These visits to Midsmeade Village are a privilege. If your behavior reflects poorly on the school in any way, that privilege will not be extended again."

You approach him, but before you can utter a syllable, "No permission form. No visiting the Village. That's the rule, Marvel." 

"Yes, Professor, but I thought- If you said I could go."

"But I don't say so. A parent or guardian must sign, and since I am neither, it would be inappropriate." 

A flicker of pity flashes across his soft features, "I'm sorry, Marvel. But that's my final word." 

You glance over at your friends, Peter was watching you expectantly. You shake your head. His face falls. You wave in farewell and watch him meet up with Ned, then go off.

You spot Michelle from the edge of the group, she quickly turns away when she notices you saw her looking, and begins walking to Midsmeade.

You frown, she acted awfully odd last night. Whatever you and Peter were about to do, you didn't even want to admit to yourself what you thought what would've happened if Michelle hadn't interrupted; the answer was obvious, but you pushed it to the back of your brain. It was a luxury you couldn't afford to dwell on. 

"No Midsmeade, eh?" 

You turn around.

"Professor Rogers."   
_

Deep in the distance, some boys skate about on brooms, tossing a ragged quaffle back and forth, you and Professor Rogers pace along the bridge.

"Well, don't feel too bad. I was disappointed the first time I went." Rogers says.

"Really?" You say hopefully.

"Er, No. I was just trying to make you feel better. Honeydukes' sweets are the best in the world. Their  
Pepper Imps are so strong you smoke at the ears. And Zonko's Joke Shop may be dangerous, but you can't beat their Stink Pellets." Rogers grins.

You nod glumly, "Not to mention The Shrieking  
Shack, which, according to Michelle, is the most severely haunted building in Britain." 

"Yes, that too..." He seems to falter a bit at the mention. Must have bad memories of the place.

"Professor, can I ask you something?" 

"You'd like to know why I stopped you from facing the Boggart."

You look at him in surprise

"I should think it'd be obvious. I assumed the Boggart would take the shape of Thanos." 

Rogers studies you curiously.

"But clearly...I was wrong."

"To be honest, I did think of Thanos first.  
But then, I remembered that night on the train... and the Dementors..." you shutter.

"Well, well. I'm impressed. That suggest that what you fear most of all is...fear. Very wise." 

"Something odd happened though Professor, before I fainted... I heard something. A woman. Screaming." 

"Dementors force us to relive the worst memories of our lives. Our pain becomes their power." He says.

"I think...I think it was my mother. The night she was murdered."

You look up, Rogers eyes are glazed with an ancient sadness. 

"The first time I saw you, _____, I recognized you immediately. Not by your scar. By the way you look.  
The way you hold yourself. Exactly like your mother, Carol." He nods solemnly.

"Yes. I knew her. She was there for me at a time when very few were. We used to talk for hours. She was not only a singularly gifted witch but an uncommonly kind woman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in whoever she met, even- and perhaps most especially- when that person couldn't see it in themselves..." Rogers is far off in a memory, then he blinks, and smiles warmly.

"Which perhaps explains her affection for your father. He had, shall we say, a certain talent for trouble. A gift, rumor has it, he passed on to you." He eyes you affectionately. You smirk vaguely. 

"I could tell you stories- and there are many about your parents, ______- but know this...They lived. Every moment of every day. You should know that.  
That's how they'd want to be remembered."  
_

The Great Hall buzzes with tales of Midsmeade, as students swap stories, sample sweets, and send bubbles of all shapes, sizes and colors into the air.

Michelle was talking about the trip with such rigor, it made you even more bummed out than before.   
"And the post office! It's about 200 owls, all sitting on color- coded shelves, depending on how fast you want your letter to go!"

"And Honeyduke's is brilliant! Sugar Quills, Flaming Whizbees- oh, and blood-flavored lollipops for Halloween!" Peter says.

You nod, and start picking quietly through the spray of brilliantly colored sweets on the table.

"But, I mean, after awhile, it got a bit boring. Don't you think, Michelle?" Peter says, trying to make you feel better.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Very depressing." Michelle nods.

"Oh _____, hang on. I almost forgot. I got you something at Dervish and Banges. It's a Pocket Sneakoscope." He sets a small, glass spinning top on the table.

"If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's meant to light up and spin. Mind you, Pietro and  
Wanda Maximoff say it's rubbish, and sold for  
tourists, but I thought, you know, it can't hurt, given that..."

"Tony Stark's trying to kill me." You finish, then look up and grin at the two of them.

"I'm glad you guys had a good time. Really. And thanks for this." You glance at the Sneakoscope, "Rubbish or not, you're right. It can't hurt."  
_  
As you, Peter, and Michelle climb the stairs, you find a crowd gathered on the Seventh Floor landing.

"What's the hold-up? Only Ned ever forgets the password." Michelle laughs.

Charles Xavier passes through the crowd, "Let me through, please. Excuse me, thank you, I'm Head Boy...oh dear. Back! All of you! No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched!

You and Peter exchange a dark glance, when Pepper Potts emerges from the crowd, her face ashen.

"The Fat Lady...she's gone."

"Probably stuffing her face with the apples in that still life on the second floor again." Peter shrugs.

"No. You don't understand-"

You gasp and grab Peter's arm.

The Fat Lady's portrait has been slashed viscously, great strips of canvas hanging from the frame. Just then, Strange appears.

"Mr. Lee. Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

Just then, there is a scream. The students dash to the landing, where all painting whisper fearfully. Lee's rheumy eyes peer up, searching the upper shadows, then...narrow.

"There'll be no need for ghosts, Professor..."   
Lee extends a crooked finger. High up, near the  
ceiling, the Fat Lady cowers in a portrait trembling.

"Dear lady. Who did this to you?" Strange asks.

"Eyes like the devil he's got. And a soul just like him. It was him, Headmaster! The one they talk about. He's here. Somewhere in the castle. Tony Stark."

A hush falls over the crowd, you're shaking now, clutching onto Peter's arm for dear life. He holds your shoulder gently. You can feel Michelle staring at the two of you. It made you feel funny.

Strangers voice cuts through the crowd, "Secure the castle, Mr. Lee. The rest of you...to the Great Hall."  
_

That night, everyone had to sleep in the great hall, sleeping bags crowded the floor. You were pretty sure you were the only one still awake. Peter had let go of your hand hours ago because he had fallen asleep, so there was no way you were going to calm down now.

A gentle creak is heard and your eyes shift, you see Laufeyson pass through the great doors into the hall, and converge with Strange.

"I've done the dungeons, Headmaster. No sign of Stark. Nor anywhere else in the castle."

"I didn't really expect him to linger."

"Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Midgards castle on one's own, completely undetected..." Laufeyson clears his throat. "You may recall, prior to the start of term, I did express my concerns when you appointed Professor-"

"I do not believe a single professor inside this castle  
would have helped Tony Stark enter it, Loki."

Laufeyson goes quite.

"No...I feel quite confident the castle is safe. And I'm more than willing to let the students return to their Houses. But tomorrow. For now, let them sleep..."

You can feel Stranges gaze find you, you shut your eyes and feign sleep.

"It's astonishing what the body can endure when the mind allows itself to rest."  
_

The replacment for the Fat Lady was a tiny knight named Sir Cadogan. He was quite annoying, as he changed the password daily.

You, Peter and Michelle begin to exit the common room.

"Farewell, comrades! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!" The knight calls.

"Yeah, we'll call you... if we ever need someone completely mental." Peter asks.  
_

SNAP! Laufeyson pulls down a screen over the blackboard, and turns.

"Turn to page 394."

As the students eye Laufeyson with guarded curiosity, Liz Allen finishes scrawling something on a bit of parchment and balls it up in her hands. As she opens them, a moth flutters from her palms.

You roll your eyes, "Excuse me, sir, but...where's  
Professor Rogers?"

"That's not really your concern, is it, Marvel? Suffice it to say, your Professor finds himself...incapable of teaching at the present time. Page 394."

Laufeyson waves Liz's moth away, and blows out candle and a slide show begins. An ancient woodcut of a horrifying beast flickers at the front of the room. 

Peter frowns down at his book.

"Werewolves? But, sir, we've only just begun learning about Red Caps and Hinkypunks. We're not meant to start nocturnal beasts for weeks-" Michelle starts.

"Quiet!" Laufeyson snaps.

"When did she come in? Did you see her come in..." Peter says in astonishment.

"Now. Which of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?" Laufeyson says.

He stares mutely at a slide of an attacking werewolf  
as Michelle waits desperately for someone to respond to the question, Liz's moth flutters by you.

SWAT! You snatch it out of the air and pin it to your desk. A tiny cloud of moth dust mushrooms into the air and you lift your palm.

"No one? How...disappointing." Laufeyson says in disgust.

Michelle reaches her breaking point, "Please, sir, an Animagus is a wizard who elects into an animal. A werewolf has no choice in the Furthermore, the werewolf actively hunts humans responds only to the call of its own kind." 

Liz lets out a low, mocking howl.

"Quiet, Allen! Though one must admit to feeling your pain. That is the second time you have spoken  
out of turn, Miss Jones. Tell me. Are you incapable of restraining yourself? Or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?" 

You frown at Laufeyson, then fold open the paper moth, and stare at the caricature. It's a crude drawing of you in your Quidditch robes being struck by lightning over and over.

You look over at Liz who is snickering in great delight.

"Five points from Gryffindor!" He says to Michelle, the turns to the class, "As a antidote to your ignorance, I prescribe two rolls of parchment on the werewolf by Monday morning, with particular emphasis placed on recognizing it."

Suddenly he turns to you, "Passing notes, Marvel?  
Laufeyson grabs the drawing from under you nose. He eyes it.

"Not exactly Picasso, are you? I hope you demonstrate more talent on the Quidditch pitch this weekend then you do as an artist." Laufeyson says. 

"If not, I fear you'll perish, given the weather forecast. Until that time, however, you'll forgive me if I don't let you off homework. Should you die, I  
assure you... you need not hand it in."

As Lafeyson turns away, Liz sniggers with Flash, and Betty. You glance wearily down at the drawing once more. You had a bad feeling about the match.   
_

Lightning streaks across the sky as it strikes one of the golden Quittich rings and the clouds bloom with icy blue light. Far below, in the stands, rain lashes the sea of umbrellas.

As soon as the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams shoot in the air the crow explodes in loud cheers. Gryffindor in scarlet, Hufflepuff in canary-yellow. 

The twin bludgers fire skyward, and now the match is on. You rise like a rocket through the mist, your robes snapping violently in the harsh wind. You quickly adjust your googles, and wipe off the lenses.

As as you fly, the rain falls swirls around you like needles, you glance around, every dark cloud seems to conceal potential danger. You shiver, as the Hufflepuff beaters crisscross your path. 

Then suddenly, a bluger whips past, and then the second rockets directly for you.

SWOOP! You duck, and watch the bluger shatter the broom of one of the Hufflepuff beaters. The Beater goes into a wild spiral, then vanishes in the mist.

Behind you, another stitch of lightning strikes the tail of Gamora Titans broom. As it bursts into flames, she plummets down to the bottom of the mist-shrouded pitch.

You shake it off and steer your broom upwards; In the sky, you fly fearlessly, searching for the Snitch as Bludgers pierce the clouds above you and chasers from either team flit in and out of view far below. 

Suddenly, a black umbrella flies towards you. You quickly duck, then turn, and watch it disappear into a bank of clouds. Then a glimmer in the direction of the flying umbrella catches your eye: the Snitch. 

Instantly, you jet off closing fast on the tiny, glimmering ball, chasing it through one cloud, then another, and another, until you break into a clear patch of sky, only to find the Snitch is gone. 

Angrily, you whip your broom back around, searching the horizon frantically, when you spy something.

In the stadium's highest tower, something enormous flickers briefly in silhouette, then is suddenly obscured by a veil of mist.

You turn. In the distance, the stray umbrella spins into view, and harpoons a player. Your eyes shift. The snitch shimmers like a firefly in the dark underbelly of a cloud.

You begin to go when the veil of mist shrouding the high tower morphs into the silhouette a great dog, it almost looks like...the grim. But there's no way....it's not possible.

You frown, then jet away. As you pelt after the snitch, the crowd rises and starts roaring. You shred through the mist as you urge your broom on.

Faster!  
Come on!

A smile forms on your lips as you close in on the Snitch, only yards away, reaching out, when a thin glaze of ice clouds your googles. You wipe them hastily, then flinch when you feel a thin stream of blood trickle down your cheek.

The rain is turning to needles. Needles of ice. 

You glance at the handle of your broomstick. The water leaking through the grain is frigid. Vapor streams from your mouth and nose.

SWOOSH! A dark silhouette passes on your right. You turn. SWOOSH! A twin silhouette passes on your left. You look down. The layers of mist are parting below.

A bolt of lightning strikes. 

It reveals something horrific, an army of silhouettes drifting onto the pitch. A vast legion of them... Dementors!

A distant whistle weaves into the wind, rises in pitch, and it's not a whistle at all, but a scream. A woman's scream. 

Your eyes flutter, and wisps of silver light float from your mouth. Your goggles glaze over with ice completely. 

Your fingers go rigid, and you can no longer grip the broom and, you slip. You can feel yourself falling, but for some reason you're not afraid. 

You and your broom tumble in opposite directions. 

You, in a free-fall, drop through one cloud, then another. Plummeting through the circling Dementors.

You hear an explosion, more powerful than thunder rocket through the sky.

Everything goes dark.  
_

Not a sound. For the longest time. Then...

"Looks a bit peaky, doesn't she?" 

"Peaky? What d'you expect her to look like? She fell fifty feet."

"Yeah, c'mon, Peter. We'll walk you off the Astronomy Tower and see how you come out looking."

"Probably a right sight better than usually he does." You grin and open your eyes.

Peter, Michelle, Wanda, and Pietro Maximoff slowly come into focus, standing at the foot of your bed in the hospital wing.

"______! How're you feeling?" Michelle asks.

As you edge up against your pillow, you see Madam Khan removing the spokes of an umbrella from a Hufflepuff player's neck. You quickly look away.

"Brilliant." You say sarcastically.

"Gave us a right good scare, mate." Pietro says.

"What happened?" you ask.

"You fell off your broom." Peter says.

"Oh Really? I had no idea, I meant the match, Peter. Who won?" You question.

Uncomfortable glances ensure.

"No one blames you, ______. The Dementors aren't meant to come on the grounds. Strange was  
furious. After he saved you, he sent them straight off." Michelle says.

You nod grimly, and stare at the rain lashing the window.

"Well...uh, There's something else you should know,______. Your Vibranium 2000- when it blew away? It sort of landed in the Whomping Willow. And well..." Peter grabs a bag to his side.

He tips the bag and out comes splintered wood and twisted twigs onto your bed. Your lip quivers, and you try to stop yourself from crying.  
_

"I'm sorry about your broom, _____. There's no chance of fixing it?" Professor Rogers asks.

You look at the glistening surface of the Black lake.

You shake you head in response to Rogers question, then you let Hedwig free of her traces. As she soars into the sky, you and Rogers watch from the lake's edge.

"Why do they affect me so, Professor? I mean, more than everyone else..." you say wistfully.

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They feed on every good feeling, every happy memory, until a person is left with nothing but their worst experiences. You're not weak, ______. The Dementors affect you most, because there are true horrors in your past. Horrors your classmates can scarcely imagine. You have nothing to be ashamed of." 

You hesitate, but respond anyway, "I'm- I'm scared, Professor."

"I'd consider you a fool if you weren't." Rogers smiles.

"I need to learn how to fight them. Wait, you could teach me, Professor. You made that Dementor on the  
train go away..." you glance to him with a certain admiration.

"There was only one that night..." he murmurs.

"But you made it go away." You press.

Rogers pauses, then thinks. "Well, I don't pretend to be an expert,_____. But yes, I can teach you.  
But, perhaps after the holiday. For now, though, I need to rest. I'm feeling...tired." 

You study Rogers melancholy face. A weary smile appears on his features.

You turn as Hedwig's reflection glides over the lake.  
_

Even though you have the invisibility cloak wrapped around you, your footprints appear in the snow, moving quickly to join the other students on their trip to Midsmeade.

Suddenly,Wanda and Pietro appear, and grab your shoulders, and begin pulling you backwards.

"Clever,_____." Pietro says.

"But not clever enough." Wanda finishes.

"Besides, we've got a better way."  
_

Pietro and Wanda pull you into a secluded corridor. The invisibility cloak drops and you are revealed, you frown, looking crossly at the twins. 

Instantly, Pietro slaps a worn roll of parchment into your hand.

You unfurl it, and raise and eyebrow. It's blank.

"What's this rubbish?" You ask.

"Rubbish she says. That there's the secret to our success." Pietro says defensively.

"It's a wrench giving it to you, believe me." Wanda groans.

"But we've decided your need's greater than ours. Wanda, if you will..." 

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Wanda touches her wand to the parchment and intricate ink lines surface in the fiber of the paper, spreading like veins. 

You read the curious words at the top.

"Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present The Marauder's Map...?" You read.

"Ah...Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. We owe them so much." Wanda says.

"Hang on. This is Midgards! And that...No. Is that really...Strange?"

"In his study." Pietro says.

"Pacing." Wanda nods.

"Does that a lot." Pietro finishes.

"You mean, this map shows...Everyone?" 

"Everyone." Wanda nods.

"Where they are." Pietro says.

"What they're doing."

"Every minute."

"Of every day." 

"Brilliant! Where'd you get it?" You ask.

"Nicked it from Lee's office, of course, first year. Now listen. There's seven secret passageways  
out of the castle. But we'd recommend..." Pietro points.

"This one." They say in unison.

"The One-Eyed Witch on the third floor." You say in amazement.

"But you best hurry. Lee is heading this way." Pietro says.

The twins begin walking away, "Oh. And, _____? When you're done, make sure to give it a tap and say, 'Mischief managed.' Otherwise, anyone can read it."


	20. I Hope He Finds Me

You approach the statue of a hump-backed, one-eyed witch.

You look down ay the map, and trace your finger along the tattered surface to a pair of ink shoe prints labeled "_____ Marvel." A tiny speech bubble appears: "Dissendium."

"Dissendium?" You whisper.

CLICK! The witch's eye opens and the statue pivots,  
revealing a dark opening in the floor. As you  
crouch, squinting, a cool draft of air blows up and ruffles your hair, and you drift into the darkness.  
_

A tiny light bobs around, fracturing the darkness, then you pop out of the trap door, the tip of your wand glowing, map in hand.

"Nox." You murmur, and the light extinguishes.

You stop, and crane your neck, to check it anyone was around. 

"Mischief managed." You whisper, then tap the map with your wand. The ink disappears.

You carefully walk up the stone steps.

In the cellar there are crates and huge rolling bins.  
Suddenly, the door bangs open, you throw yourself behind one of the bins and hide. You watch the man grab a box of Jelly Slugs then walk out the door. 

You grab the pile of shimmering fabric at your feet, the invisibility cloak, and throw it around you.

You walk from behind the counter of Honeydukes Sweet Shop, and track through all the customers. Up ahead, stands Ned Leeds, a lollipop in his hand. You brush past him, and the candy sticks to your cloak. You panic, but decide to keep walking, promising yourself to buy him another one later.

You enter the misty, fog-shrouded chaos of Main Street, and quickly slip a hand out of your cloak and tug away the lollipop and throw it into the snow. What would people say if they saw a floating lollipop in the middle of the street?  
_

At this elevation, the mist hangs in thick, undulating veils, the Shrieking Shack, an eerie silhouette in the gloom. Peter and Michelle stand stiffly, attempting, as best they can, to conceal the fact that, basically, they're scared stiff.

"It's meant to be the most haunted building in Britain. Did I mention that?" Michelle says.

"Twice." Peter says.

"Should we move a bit closer?" She asks.

"Huh? Oh...All right..." He says. He takes a step towards the shack, then stops. "Actually, it's fine from here."

"Perfect..." she clears her throat, "You know Peter. It's actually quite nice being here alone with you." She says. You watch as her body edges close to Peter's.

You stomach tightens. And your mouth suddenly tastes sour. You pull out your wand, a confundus charm wouldn't hurt her? Err, Right?

"Huh? Oh...I suppose. I still wish _____ was here. Err um, not that you're not great, you are. I just, hate seeing her so sad." Peter turns away and shoves his hands into his pockets.

Michelle frowns and crosses her arms. You slide your wand away.

Just then, three figures appear over the rise, like phantoms in the mist. Liz. Betty. Flash.

"Well, well. Look who's here. You two shopping for your dream home? Seems a bit grand for you, Pathetic Parker. Doesn't your family all sleep in one room?" Liz laughs.

"Shut your mouth, Allen." Peter says.

She clucks her tongue, "Now that's not very friendly. I think we're going to have to teach Parker over to respect his superiors."

Michelle gives a harsh chuckle, "Hope you don't mean yourself."

Liz eyes shift, regard Michelle with disgust.

"How dare you speak to me, you filthy, little mud-"

SPLAT! You give almighty throw, and Liz takes a snowball to the grill.

"Who did that!" She shrieks.

She glances about in confusion, when- SPLAT!  
You throw two more. 

"Well, don't just stand there!" She yells at Flash and Betty.

Betty and Flash start for Peter and Michelle, when FLUMPH! Their knees go out and they fall headfirst into the snow. Liz begins to back away fearfully, eying the mist...

"Wait a minute, there's something out here-Aaaaaaahhhh!!!"

You pull Liz's hat over her eyes, and spin her  
about, and then give her a hard kick in the bottom, she goes stumbling over the rise and out of sight. Instantly, Flash and Betty join her.

Peter and Michelle stand frozen, exchange a nervous glance, and dash off, when FLUMPH! They both collapse into the snow. Michelle and Peter glance about uneasily.

Until they hear your uncontrollable laughter. As they sit up, Peter's eyes narrow in suspicion.

"_______...?"

You drop the Invisibility Cloak. Sure enough. It's you, grinning. 

"Bloody hell, _____! That's not funny!" Peter shouts, but he's smiling. You all are.

Him and and Michelle pelt you with snowballs, all in good nature, as you laugh with your friends.  
_

The three of you trudge through Main Street, you'd donned Michelle's scarf and Peter's hat to disguise yourself.

"Can't believe they never told me about any Marauder's Map! And to think, I let them come to my house." Peter says angrily. 

"But she isn't going to keep it. She's going to turn it over to Professor T'Challa, aren't you?" Michelle says sternly.

Peter rolls his eyes, "Oh sure. Along with her invisibility cloak, her pack of exploding snap cards, her-" 

"Oh, shut up." You say, hitting him gently in the chest. 

"Felicia m'dear!" A voice yells.

Up ahead Thaddeus Ross emerges from a ministry sleight as Bruce swings the door clear.

Ross joins Professor T'Challa and a curvy barmaid outside the Three Broomsticks Pub.

"That's Madam Felicia Hardy. Peter fancies her." Michelle giggles.

"It's not true!" Peter tells you.

You roll your eyes, "Shhh."

"I trust business is good?" Ross asks.

"It'd be a right sight better if the Ministry wasn't sending Dementors into my pub every other night." Felicia answers.

"We have a killer on the loose." Ross responds.

"Tony Stark? In Midsmeade! And what would bring him here?" 

Ross pauses, "_____ Marvel."

"______ Marvel!" Felicia says, stunned.

Ross looks around nervously, then jerks his head toward the pub. You throw on the invisibility cloak, and follow as Ross leads Felicia and T'Challa inside.

"______?" You hear your friends call. 

But it's too late, your gone. Your footprints track through the snow, into the pub.  
_

As you thread through the teeming pub, past a sign ("No Underage Wizards") and nearly collide with some very strange-looking patrons. Peter and Michelle ripple briefly past a frosted window.

You hurry on, trailing Ross and T'Challa up a dark stairwell as Felicia leads them into a small back room. As the door starts to close, you rush forward: SLAM! Too late. You turn the knob, and the door  
opens, and snow flutters off the sill of a half-open window. You silently walk to the corner of the room.

T'Challa turns, frowning, and re-closes the door, harder this time, then joins Ross and Felicia. 

Your head shifts from one to the other as they speak.

"Come on then. Let's hear it." Felicia says.

T'Challa sighs, "Years ago, when ______ Marvel's  
parents were marked for death, they went into hiding. Few knew where they were. One who did was  
Stark. And he told..." 

"You-Know-Who. I've heard this rot. It was all over The Daily Prophet back in the day. And I'll say now what I said then: Of all the boys I ran out of here,  
Stark's the last who would've gone over to the dark side. Hearsay. That's all the Ministry had. Hearsay." Felicia says sternly.

"Ha! Tell that to Neb Luphomoid!" Ross says.

"Neb Luphomoid?" Felicia says.

"Little lump of a girl? Always tagging after Stark and..." T'Challa stops.

"I remember her. What's she got to do with it?" Felicia asks.

"After the Marvels were killed, Luphomoid went looking for Stark. And, unfortunately...found him." T'Challa says.

Ross rolls his eyes, "Stark was vicious. He didn't kill Luphomoid. He destroyed her. A finger. That's all that was left. A finger- there's your hearsay." 

Felicia looks to T'Challa. He nods grimly.

"Tony Stark may not have put his hands to the Marvels, but he's the reason they're dead. And now he wants to finish what he started." 

"_____." Felicia cries.

T'Challa nods, then looks pained.

"But that's not the worst of it." Ross says.

"What could be worse?" Felicia says.

"This: Tony Stark was and remains to this day..._____ Marvels godfather."  
_

BLAM! The pub doors fly open, and reveal Main Street, where Peter and Michelle wait, rubbing their hands against the chill.

You frown at the pair of them together and walk away as fast as you can. You just wanted to be alone.  
_

At the end of rocky alcove you finally stop, and let hearty sobs rack your body. Moments later, you hear foot steps and look through the sheen of the invisibility cloak, Michelle takes Peter's arm, discouraging him from going further, but he does anyway, filling your footprints with his own, then kneeling and; very gently, draws the cloak away from you.

You stare into the mist, your eyes stinging with tears.

"He was their friend. And he betrayed them. He was their friend!" You shout, a fire suddenly burns through you, and your eyes harden, "I hope he finds me. But when he does, I'm going to be ready. When he does, I'm going to kill him."  
-  
The dying sun streams through high windows, painting your face a fierce amber-red as you stand opposite to Rogers. Ancient charts drape the walls while gleaming spheres of spun glass rotate around one another silently. Rogers paces before a large chest.

"You're sure about this, ______? This is very advanced magic. Well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level." 

"If Stark can fight the Dementors, I need to know how too." You say, steely.

He studies you, as if conflicted, then decides.

"Very well. The spell I'm going to teach you is called the Patronus Charm. Ever hear of it?"

You shake your head.

"A Patronus is a kind of positive force. For the wizard who can conjure one, the Patronus works something like a shield. The Dementor feeds on it instead of them." 

Just then, the trunk rattles violently. As your eyes wander, Rogers snaps his fingers, and brings your attention back.

"But in order for it to work, you must think of a memory. And not just any. This memory needs to be a very happy one. And powerful." 

You think a bit. Then, nod.

"Got something? Good. Let it fill you up. Lose yourself in it. Then speak the incantation: Expecto Patronum. Without your wand..." Rogers says.

"Expecto Patronum..." you repeat.

"Right then. Shall we?" 

You nod, and raise your wand. Rogers, watching closely, reaches over, and grips the lid of the chest...

"Concentrate, ______. Concentrate..."

As Rogers flings open the case, you open your eyes. In the sun's blood-light the Dementor looks particularly horrific.

Your content and concentration flutter away,  
"Expecto... Patronum..." you mutter.

The torches on the wall flicker as a chill breeze fills the chamber. A scream echos distantly. Your hands tremble, and you eyes begin to roll up...

"Expecto... Expecto..."

"Here!" Rogers yells.

CRACK! The Dementor mutates into a silvery white orb.

"Riddikulus!" Rogers says.

He flicks his wand, and sends the orb back into the  
packing case. You stand blinking. Dazed. 

Rogers fishes a chocolate frog from his pocket and presses it into your trembling hand.

"Eat, Quickly."

You study the frog. Then take a bite and begin to recover.

"That's one nasty Dementor." You sigh.

"Boggart, _____. The real thing would be much, much worse. Just out of interest, what were you  
thinking of? What memory did you choose?" Rogers asks.

"Well, The first time I rode a broom." You answer.

"That's not good enough, _____. Not nearly." Rogers responds.

You glance toward the window, at the bloody sun.

"I guess...there's another. It's not happy exactly. I mean, it is. It's the happiest I've ever felt. But it's... complicated."

"Is it strong?"

You look up into Rogers eyes. Feeling very emotional, and nod.

"Then let's try it" 

You take a breath and toss the frog aside, and poise   
yourself.

"Think, ______, think-" Rogers begins.

"Just do it." You say sternly.

He blinks at your quiet fierceness and the opens the  
packing case. Instantly, the Dementor appears again. A chill fills the air. The hair skates off your scar. You set your jaw...

"Expecto Patronum!"

Your hand trembles. Your whole body trembles. But you hold your ground, when WHOOSH! a huge silver shadow bursts from the end of your wand, hovering between you and the Dementor. The Dementor falters... your legs like water, you fall back gently in exhaustion.

"Riddikulus!" Rogers shouts.

CRACK! The Dementor vanishes. Your arm drops, slack. Rogers eyes you with a kind of awe.

"I think I've had enough. For today." You say breathlessly.

You can feel Rogers watch you as you move to the door.

"Just so you know, _____: You'd have given your mother a run for her money. And, believe me, that's  
saying something. Well done." He nods deeply.

You ponder this. Then speak, deep inside yourself.

"I was thinking of her. And Dad. Seeing their faces. They're just talking to me. Just...talking. I don't know what they're even saying, and to be honest, I don't want to know. That was the memory I chose. I don't even know if it's real..." 

You grip the door, and push past.

"But it's the best I have."  
_

A whistle shrieks. The Sneakoscope, whirling madly, skitters across your bedside cabinet and CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! Taps against a water glass, sending shafts of red light pinwheeling over the photo of your parents...

Michelle screams loudly in the bed next yours.

You bolt up and, see a silhouette etched on the window, a man clutching a knife. All the girls are up now. Screaming. Amid the chaos, you grab your wand.

"Everybody out!" You yell.

The others flee. You face the hulking shadow, wand poised.

"Show yourself!" 

Crash! The water glass shatters on the floor and  
Nebula, Peter's rat, darts past your bare feet, chased by Crookshanks. Seizing the moment, the silhouette grasps the curtains and swings through the open window, plunging into the night. You rush to the window, and look down.

The silhouette leaps from ledge to ledge with an animal's grace, then, vanishes.

You sweep Michelle's curtains aside. Her bed is... empty.

"Michelle! Michelle!" You call.

Your eyes flash toward the window, when...Michelle pokes her head out from under the bed.

"Is he gone?"  
_

The entire Gryffindor House, in pajamas, stand before T'Challa, who wears black silk bottoms and robe, over a black shirt, and an expression of singular irritation.

"That's crazy, Michelle. How could Tony Stark possibly have got through the portrait hole?"

"I don't know how he got in, Professor, to be quite honest, I was a bit busy dodging his knife."

Just then, a curiously content Crookshanks wends his way through Peter's legs.

"This terrible beast probably just got finished eating my rat." Peter says angrily.

You turn to look at him and Michellle, "How did Nebula even get in the girls dormitories in the first place?"

Peter, suddenly perplexed, looks to you, "You were supposed to be looking after her, bloody rat's been keeping me up at night, squealing and squeaking; I just wanted a break, didn't Michelle tell you?"

You both turn to look at her. Michelle goes red, "I thought- well I thought I could look after Nebula for you. Nebulas awful, but- ______ already has so much on her plate. I just want to do something nice for you, Peter." 

Peter looks dissatisfied by this response.

"Michelle I know Crookshanks hates Nebula; it would've been no big deal. You- you should've told me." Your mouth fills with sourness and you can feel heat rise to your face "Now your hideous pets eaten the poor rat!" 

"That's a lie!" She shouts.

"It is not and you bloody well know it!" You retort.

"Silence!" T'Challa says.

T'Challa turns then and everyone follows him to Sir Cadogan who, sensing the attention, perks up instantly. Every eye is on the portrait.

"Sir Cadogan. Is it possible that you let a mysterious man enter Gryffindor Tower tonight?" T'Challa asks.

"Certainly, good sir! He had the password. Had the whole week's, in fact. On a little piece of paper." 

"Which foolish person wrote down the passwords and then decided to lose them." T'Challa says, eerily calm.

Everyones eyes shift once more: It was Ned.

T'Challa sighs, "Mr. Leeds? Is it always going to be you?"

"I'm afraid so, Sir." Ned says. 

Peter gives a sympathetic look to his friend.

T'Challa turns to the group, "While we know Tony Stark is gone tonight, I think we can safely assume he will, at some future time, attempt to return. Let me be clear. You are not to move about the castle alone. And you're allowed to write down the  
passwords. Understood?" 

Everyone nods their head.

"Very well then. Go to bed."

T'Challa shakes his head, collects himself, then exits.

As the students drift off, Peter and you cast one last angry glance toward Michelle, who now holds Crookshanks in her arms.

You turn to Peter before you separate, "I could've killed him. He was right there. Close enough to touch. I could've killed him."


	21. Seeing the Impossible

The three of you make your way down the slope.

"I find it astonishing that someone who prides herself on being so logical can be in such denial." Peter says.

"______. Will you explain to your friend Mr.Parker that he has absolutely no proof whatsoever that my sweet, unassuming cat ate his shabby, decidedly decrepit rat." Michelle growls.

"______ was there! She'll tell you how it was. Go on, ______, tell her." Peter says.

You frown at the both of them, "No, I won't. Truth be told. Know why? Because I don't care about your stupid rat! I don't care about your stupid cat! I've got few other things on my mind right now!"

"Really? Wasn't you had to roll under the bed last night to avoid getting cut to ribbons! A person could die being your friend, _____!" Michelle shouts.

She stops, and looks like she wishes she could take it back. You wish she could. Avoiding each other's eyes, you all turn, and continue on.  
_

Bruce, wearing a nice suit and perhaps the world's ugliest yellow and orange tie, stands knee deep in the shallows of the Black Lake, skimming rocks as big as flagstones across the water's shiny gloss. As he turns, the three of you catch a brief sight of his eyes, red with tears, then he looks away.

"How'd it go, Bruce?" You ask.

"Buckbeak liked London." He says.

"I meant the hearing." 

"Oh. That." He sighs, "Well, I got up and said my bit. You know, how Buckbeak was good and as long as you treated him with respect, he'd treat you the same. Then Adrian Toomes got up and said his bit, you know, how Buckbeak was a deadly, dangerous beast that no teacher in their right mind would expose their students to..." 

"And...?" You ask, dreading the answer.

Bruce slings another rock into water.

"Buckbeak's not going back to the forest..."

"Where's he going, Bruce?" Michelle asks.

"Adrian asked for the worse. And the Committee granted it. Buckbeak's been sentenced to death." 

A grim chill sears the air. 

"You mustn't blame yourself, Bruce." Peter says, "Liz. It's her the Committee should punish. It's her who they should send off to the forest, not Buckbeak."  
_

Silent. A room of shadows. While those around you slumber, you lie awake, unable to sleep. Finally, you turn to your cupboard, and take the Marauder's Map.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." You whisper.

The crooked corridors and serpentine passageways  
Midgards radiate across the parchment, then, a name catches your eye. You frown. It reads: "Neb Luphomoid."  
_

You move down a dark corridor, map in hand, wand aglow. In the paintings you pass, the subjects snore softly.

You glance at the map.

"______ Marvel" and "Neb Luphomoid" draw closer and closer.

You squint toward the end of the corridor. Down at  
the map. Neb moves quickly down the adjoining corridor. Twenty yards away. Ten. 

Only seconds away, wand and trembling in your hand, you glance from the map to the dark corridor ahead, again and again. Then as the two dot are about to collide you looks slowly up, then turn the corner, heart in your chest and meet...yourself.

Reflected in a mirror. You blink, startled, then glance back down at the map. Neb Luphomoid has moved past you. Confused, you wheel, casting your wand along the walls.

"Watch it there, girl!" 

You jump, but it's only an old man in a paining, scowling in the glare of your wand light. 

On the map, "Neb Luphomoid" continues to move away. You make to follow, then stop. Suddenly, there's loud footsteps.Your wand's light dances across the parchment, and finds another pair of shoe prints, approaching fast: "Loki Laufeyson."

"Mischief managed!" You whisper harshly.

You stash the map in your hoodie pocket, then extinguish your wand, and turn into the harsh glare of Laufeyson's wand light.

"Marvel. What're you doing wandering the corridors at night?"

"I was... I was... uh, sleepwalking..."

A sneer curdles the corners of Laufeyson's lips.

"How extraordinarily like your namesake you are, exceedingly arrogant. Strutting about the castle-" 

"My parents didn't strut. Nor do I. Now, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate you lowering your wand." You say smugly.

Laufeyson eyes you coldly. Containing himself, he lowers his wand.

"Turn out your pockets." 

You don't move, eyes still boring into Laufeyson.

"Turn out your pockets!"

Finally, you oblige. Seeing the map, Laufeyson's eyes glitter.

"And this. What might it be?"

"Hmmm, oh, spare bit of parchment..." you lie.

"Really..." He poises his wand, "Reveal your secret!"

To your horror, words begin to appears. Laufeyson studies then, a sadistic half-smile on his lips, and turns the map toward you.

"Read it."

"Eh em, Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs offer their compliments to Professor Laufeyson and..." you read.

"Go on."

"... and request that he keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."

Laufeysons smile drops, "Why you insolent little-"

"Professor...?" A voice asks.

Laufeyson turns, you glance and see Professor Rogers standing in the shadows.

"Well, well. Rogers. Out for a little walk in the moonlight, are we?"

"______? You all right?" He asks.

"That remains to be seen. I've just now confiscated a rather curious artifact from Ms. Marvel. Take a look, Rogers. This is supposed to be your area of expertise."

Rogers takes the parchment, which now displays a rather unflattering caricature of Laufeyson and a pair of potions.

"Clearly, it's full of Dark Magic." Laufeyson says.

"I seriously doubt that, Loki. It looks to me as if it merely insults anyone who tries to read it. I suspect it's a Zonko product. Nevertheless, I shall pursue any hidden qualities it may possess. As you say, it's my area of expertise. Come, _____."  
_

You walk aside a fuming Rogers, who grips the map fiercely.

"I don't know how this map came to be in your possession, ______, but I'm astounded that you didn't turn it in. Did you ever stop to think that this-in the hands of Tony Stark- is a map to you?"

You walk silently. Rogers can obviously barely contain his anger.

"Your mother didn't set much store by rules either. But she and your father did give their lives to save yours. Gambling their sacrifice by walking about the castle unprotected, with a killer on the loose, strikes me as a poor way to repay them. I won't cover up for you again, ______."

Rogers enters his classroom.

He begins to sort through some papers. You linger briefly in the doorway, absently eying the waxing moon.

"Professor. Just so you know, I don't think the map always works. Earlier, it showed someone in the castle. Someone I know to be dead."

Rogers tosses the map on his desk, then starts to turn away, but stops, only half listening to you, "And who was that, _____?"

"Neb Luphomoid."

Rogers hesitates ever-so-slightly, then returns to his papers.

"Very well. I'd like you to return to your dormitory now. Oh, and ______? Don't take any detours. If you do, I'll know."

As you look back, Rogers taps the map.  
_

"Relax, Let your mind go..."

Everyone gazes into Crystal Balls, faces reflecting the mist within, so that their very skin seems to be made of smoke.

You and Peter sit together, while Michelle sits across the way.

"Crystal-gazing requires that you clear the Inner Eye. Only then, will you... See. Oh my, what do we have here...?"

As Professor Delphi eyes your crystal ball, Michelle rolls her eyes.

"Here we go again. It's the Grim! It's the Grim!" Michelle mocks.

Professor Delphi's eyes narrow. 

"My dear, from the moment you first arrived in my class, I sensed that you did not possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Divination. You may be young in years, but the heart that beats beneath your bosom is as shriveled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave." 

Stung, Michelle starts to reply, but, remarkably, for once in her life; she seems incapable of a single word. Rising gracelessly, she exits, knocking her crystal ball to the floor as she loudly mutters a stream of fowl curses.

You watch curiously as the ball rolls slowly out the doorway.

"In late spring, one of our number will leave us forever! You knew, Professor! You saw." Gwen Stacy smiles.

"On these occasions, I take no joy in my gift, Miss   
Stacy."  
_

As the students exit the Divination classroom, Peter turns to you and Ned.

"She's gone mental, Michelle has. I mean, not that she wasn't always mental, but now it's out in the open for everyone to see..."

You spy Michelle's crystal ball on the landing.

"I'm gonna take this back. I'll meet up with you guys in the common room." 

"See ya." Peter and Ned wave.  
_

You set Michelle's crystal back on its stand, and start to leave, when the smoke within the crystal suddenly darkens. Leaning close, you watch the shape that appears. It is unmistakable: Tony Stark. 

Just then, a shadow crawls the glossy surface of the crystal and a hand snatches your shoulder. You wheel, and find... 

"Professor Delphi-" 

"He will return tonight..."

You stiffen. Delphi's voice is eerily hollow.

"S-sorry?" You ask.

"Tonight, when the clock strikes twelve, the servant shall break free. He and his Master shall be reunited. It cannot be prevented."

Delphi smiles savagely, then her head falls forward.  
When it rises, she blinks, and eyes the hand that lies upon your shoulder.

"Sorry dear girl, did you say something?" She asks, her voice now normal.

You swallow hard then shake your head, "No, nothing."   
_

You lead Peter and Michelle toward Bruce's hut.

"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak! It's too horrible." Michelle cries.

"It just got worse." You say.

She and Peter look and see: Liz, along with Betty and Flash, lurk within a grouping of monolithic menhirs, binoculars in hand, spying on a transformed Bruce, who stands in the pumpkin patch, tossing dead ferrets to Buckbeak. Hulk wipes his eyes, and then lopes into the hut.

"Did you see the big, fat blubbering oaf?! Oh, this is going to be rich. Did I tell you, Father said I can keep the head-" Liz looks up, "Ah. Come to see the show?"

"You... foul...loathsome...evil... little cockroach!" Michelle says, absolutely fuming.

Liz stumbles back against a tree, cross-eyed with fear as Michelle jabs the tip of her wand under Liz's nose, when...

"Michelle! No!" Peter says sternly.

She turns, surprised Peter's spoken to her. He looks away.

"She's not worth it." 

Michelle nods, then SMACK! quick as lightning, lands a punch right to Liz's jaw, putting her flat on her back. Stunned, Liz leaps to her feet and runs, Betty and Flash quickly following.

"That felt good." Michelle says.

"That was brilliant." You smile.  
_

The three of you make your way down the slope and pass Buckbeak, chewing on a ferret with idle satisfaction, and enter Bruce's hut. 

Bruce stands by the window watching Buckbeak. Peter sits, and Michelle makes tea.

"Look at him. Loves the smell of the trees when the wind blows..." Bruce mutters.

You think, "I say we set him free." 

Bruce shakes his head, "They'd know I did it. And that would only get Strange in trouble. He's gonna come down, you know. Strange says he wants to be with me when it...when it happens."

"Professor Strange is a good man." You nod. 

"We'll stay with you too, Bruce." Peter says.

"You will not! I do not want you kids seeing something like this. Drink your tea and be off. But before you do, I want see ______ and Michelle shake hands."

"What?" You ask.

You and Michelle exchange a glance.

"You don't think I haven't seen how it's been between you two? Go on now." Bruce says.

Reluctantly you shake Michelle's hand.

"Good, now then, Peter I want to see you give Michelle a hug." 

"I'm sorry, what?" Peter says.

Michelle's cheeks go red, while a cold gnawing feeling fills your stomach. 

"I don't think you two could get on without _____, so go on." Bruce says sternly.

Acutely uncomfortable, Michelle and Peter step forward and perform perhaps the most awkward hug Midgards has ever seen.

"That was the most pathetic hug I've ever seen." You grumble.

"Ah, but that's not what matters, ______. What matters is they did it. Now, just one more thing." 

"I'm not kissing Fang if that's what you're thinking..." Peter frowns.

Hearing his name, Fang, Bruce's giant boar-hound,   
thumps his tail happily on the floor.

Bruce turns and grabs a flour tin, and lifts the lid, a tiny head, doused with white powdered emerges.

"Nebula! You're alive!" Peter shouts with glee.

"You should keep a closer eye on you pets, Peter." Bruce says.

"I think you owe someone an apology." Michelle says.

"Right." Peter nods solemnly, "Next time I see  
Crookshanks, I'll let him know."

"I meant me." 

You roll your eyes, "Here we go again."

SMASH! A glass jar on the shelf shatters. As Michelle scoops up a jagged shaped stone, a second stone bounces off the back of your head. 

"Ouch!" You turn and look out the window.

"Bruce..." you call.

Everyone turns and looks. Strange and Thaddeus Ross approach. Behind them, in a fluttering shroud of crows, a Executioner follows, axe at his side.

Bruce begins to panic, his skin turns a light shade of green.

"You got to go! It's almost dark. Anyone sees you outside the castle it'll be trouble! Big trouble, especially you, ______-" 

BANG! BANG! BANG! The door shakes. Bruce stiffens in fear. Your reach up, and put finger to your lips and speak softly to the others.

"C'mon."  
_

As the three of you exit through the back door, Ross, Strange and the Executioner enter through the front.

A veil of crows flutter onto the roof. More drop into the patch, and begin to slowly circle Buckbeak.

You and the others duck behind the pumpkins in the patch, and watch Bruce solemnly greet the Minister.

Ross appears at the window, and then... picks his nose. 

Just then, a Shhh! is heard behind you. Michelle turns. The branches of the trees behind her are dancing about oddly.

"What?" You ask. 

"Nothing, I just thought I saw... Never mind."  
_  
The the three of you slip silently into a stand of trees. Beyond you, Bruce's hut glimmers desolately in the dying sun. High in the clock tower, a bell begins to toll.

You all stop fighting your tears. A quartet of bleak shadows files from the hut. One of the shadows, Professor Strange, raises his hand and points, directing the attention of the others away from Buckbeak. He speaks briefly, unintelligible from this distance, then; The crows shriek excitedly and the Executioner separates from the others, and disappears behind a low stand of trees.

All goes very still. The wind seems to lose its voice.  
Sunlight kicks off the axe as it rises over the trees,  
into view...

The ax hangs seemingly forever, etched against the sky, then drops from sight. 

Then, a sicking chop fouls the breeze.

You and Peter stare toward the trees in numb disbelief. You reach for his trembling hand, he takes it and squeezes. None of this felt right, this couldn't be real.

Buckbeak was dead.

Michelle, face turned away, trembles. 

The bell dings in the distance. The sun slowly sets, dropping behind the mountains in the distance. You see Michelle turn, and spot a frenzied spray of  
crows stain the bloody sky, their primal shrieking rising like a curse.

Suddenly, you feel Peter jerk his body away, you look down the length of his arm to his hand, where a drop of blood hangs from his finger, then drops like a tear...

He stares at his hand, at the blood running down his finger.

"She bit me..." he murmurs.

His eyes quickly shift. You follow them and see Nebula the rat, streaking away.

"Peter! No!" Michelle yells as Peter pelts after Nebula, you and Michelle follow quickly.  
_

Peter reaches the summit, then disappears over the top. You and Michelle follow breathlessly, then reach the top of the ridge. Michelle turns to you.

"______. You do realize what tree this is...."

Peter nabs Nebula, and cradles her in his bloody palm.

"Now behave yourself." He says.

Peter was kneeling under the Whomping Willow.

"That's not good- Peter! Peter!" You yell.

Peter spins around, and looks towards you.

A terror fills his eyes, "______! RUN!" 

Your eyes shift, bounding toward you in the gathering gloom is an enormous, pale-eyed, dog. The same dog from that night on the curb. 

You shield yourself when, incredibly, the dog leaps clear over you.

Peter shrieks.

The dog's teeth flash and SNAP! close on Peter's foot, dragging him towards the trunk of the Womping Willow like a rag doll. Instantly, your dash forward, leap out, and grab Peter's hand, but the dog was too strong and you and Peter just keep skudding along the ground.

"I've got you-" Michelle pitches herself onto your feet and the three of you go dragging along.

"_____! Let go!" Peter yells.

You raise your chin. The dog vanishes into a gap at the base of the tree, and begins to pull Peter through...

"No! Hold on, Peter!" You shout.

But it's no use. The dog is too powerful. You glance around desperately, then find yourself looking directly in Peter's eyes. It's like you can read his mind.

"No, Peter!" You cry.

One by one, Peter releases his fingers from your forearm. Sacrificing himself.

"Nooooo!!!" You shriek.

But Peter closes his eyes, releases his hands fully, and disappears into the gap. 

As his voice echos deep into the earth, you and Michelle rise, peer into the hole.

"We have to save him-" You begin, but suddenly get cut off by loud WHOMP!

The Whomping Willow sweeps first Michelle, then grabs you by one of its long, thin branches, it throws you into the air and drops both you and Michelle on your backsides.

You both jolt for the gap in the tree, but a branch swoops down, Michelle ducks, but you don't, the branch tosses you to the side. Your eyes shake in your head for a moment and your vision becomes blurry.

"_______!!!" Michelle shouts.

You squint up, and see a pile-driving fist of a branch screaming straight down for your head. You roll away just as the branch pulverizes the ground where you'd just laid. Michelle whips in to view, still clinging on a branch for dear life, and you quickly rise. 

You see unclearly, as Michelle goes crashing through the high branches, you rub your eyes quickly and your vision finally clears, just in time to see Michelle   
flying madly toward you.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Michelle shrieks.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" You shriek in return.

Michelle reaches out, the grabs your shirt and- riding the branch in tandem the two of you boomerang back, hurtling toward the trunk of the tree, through the gap, and into the darkness below. 

"OOMPH!" You grunt, hitting the ground hard. 

Michelle falls on top of you.

"Oh, I'm sorry _____. Thanks." She says.

You grunt and rub your back, "Don't mention it. Lumos."

The tip of your wand glows softly, and reveals a long snaking tunnel.

"Where do you suppose this goes?" Michelle asks.

Your heartbeat quickens, "I have a hunch. I just hope I'm wrong..."  
_

You and Michelle make your way through the primitive passage way, ducking under the roots that dangle overhead. The abruptly, the tunnel just...ends.

Confused, you and Michelle glance about, then; in unison, peer up. There lies a small opening. You reach up, and hoist yourself through. You help pull Michelle up. Then, look about. 

Paper peels from the walls. Stains- suspiciously similar to dried blood blot the floorboards. Shattered furniture lies strewn everywhere.

"We're in the Shrieking Shack, aren't we?" Michelle asks, quietly

You don't answer, instead stare at the dog prints in the dust on the floor. The ceiling creeks. The two of you dash to the stairs.

You and Michelle climb up; A wide, shiny stripe cuts through the dust laden floor- as if something has been dragged to the end of the hallway, where a light seeps from a door.

"Nox." You murmur, edging towards the door. Your wand light dies.

You and Michelle exchange a look. She nods, wand ready, and you kick the door aside.

In the room, Peter sits upon a sagging bed, clutching his bloody foot. 

"Peter! You're okay-" Michelle starts, but you cut the reunion off.

"The dog- where's the-"

"Get out! He's the dog! It's a trap! He's an animagus!" Peter yells.

You look down, and follow the paw prints on the floor to a pair of filthy human feat. You swallow hard, you look up slowly at the man standing in the shadows. Filthy, matted hair hangs to his shoulders. His skin like a corpse.

Tony Stark.

He studies your face keenly. You draw your wand.

"If you want to kill _____, you'll- you'll...have to kill us, too!" Peter shouts, trying to stand up on his bloody foot.

"No. Only one will die tonight." Stark says. 

"Then it'll be you!" You shout.

"______! No!" Michelle says.

Just then, footsteps sound. Stark wheels toward the  
door, edgy. You eye Stark, your wand hand shaking violently. As Stark turns back, he stops, and regards you cautiously.

"Going to kill me, ______?" He asks.

"Yes." You answer nastily.

Your raise your wand. When suddenly the door crashes open. It's Professor Rodgers.

"Professor Rogers!" You, Peter and Michelle say in unison.

Rogers ignores you, eying Stark intensely.

"Looking a bit ragged, aren't we, Tony? Finally the skin reflects the madness within."

"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Steve?"

The two regard each other, the moment taut with tension, then Rogers steps forward and...embraces Stark like a brother.

"No! I trusted you! I covered up for you. And all this time you've been his friend!" Michelle points viciously at Rogers. "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!" 

You and Peter stare, dumbfounded, at Rogers. Stark howls, bitterly amused. Rogers eyes him, then turns back.

"How long have you known?"

"Since Professor Laufeyson set the essay." 

"You're the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Michelle." 

"Yes, you glow like the sun. And you howl at the moon. Enough talk! She dies. Now. If you won't do it with me, Steve, I'll do it alone." Stark says madly.

"Wait, Tony-" 

"I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban! Trust me, you wouldn't have lasted a week!" Tony yells.

Rogers eyes Stark, then nods.

"All right then. As you wish..." Rogers says

"No!" You shout.

You raise your own wand, then Rogers wheels and, with a flick of his own, disarms you. Furious, you eye Stark murderously.

"You betrayed my parents! You sold them out to Thanos!" You shout at him. 

"It's a lie! I never would've betrayed your parents!" Stark cries.

"______! You've got to listen-" Rogers begins.

"Did he listen! When my mother was dying! Did he hear her screaming!" You yell, hot, angry tears streaming down your cheeks.

"No! I wasn't there! And I'll regret it the rest of my life!" Starks says. 

You flash to Starks eyes, they're glittering with pain.

"Someone else betrayed your parents, ______. Someone in this room right now. Someone who,  
until quite recently, I believed to be dead." Rogers says.

"She's as good as dead." Stark says angrily.

"What're you talking about? There's nobody here." You say.

"Oh yes there is..." Stark says, "Come out, come out, Neb, Come out, come out and play..."

Peter draws back from Starks demented gaze.

"You're mad..." Peter whispers.

Your eyes shift from Peter's face to his hands, where Nebula twists violently. As a curious expression befalls you, Rogers and Starks, as one, raise their wands...when,

"Expelliarmus!" 

Their wands fly from their hands. Everyone turns, to find Professor Laufeyson standing in the doorway, smiling smugly.

"Ah, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you." 

"Loki-" Rogers starts.

"I told Strange you were helping your old friend into the castle. And here's the proof." Laufeyson growls.

"Brilliant! And- as usual- dead wrong. Now give us our wands back. Steve and I have a bit of unfinished business to tend to." Stark says smugly.

As Stark approaches, Laufeyson puts his wand to Stark's neck.

"Give me a reason. I beg you."

"Don't be a fool, Loki!" Rogers says.

"He can't help it. It's habit by now." Stark says sarcastically.

"Quiet, Tony!" Rogers scolds.

Loki clucks his tongue, "Listen to you two. Quarreling like an old married couple. The creature and the criminal." 

"Piss off." Stark says. 

"Witty as ever I see. Tell me, will you be so irreverent when I turn you over to the Dementors? Do I detect a flicker of fear? One can only imagine what it must  
be like to endure the Dementor's Kiss. It's said to be unbearable to witness. But I'll do my best." 

Laufeyson's eyes harden. He gestures to the door.

"After you." 

As the others start to go, you glance at the table where Rogers left your wand. In a flash, it's in your hand.

"Expelliarmus!"

Laufeyson soars into the air, hits the wall with a thud, and slides down. Peter and Michelle stare in shock.

"You attacked a teacher." Michelle says in awe.

You feel a bit shocked yourself, then turn to Rogers.

"You said Neb before. Neb who?"

"Luphomoid. She was at school with us. We thought she was a friend." Rogers frowns.

"No. Luphomoid is dead." You answer.

"I thought so, too. Until you mentioned seeing Luphomoid on the Map." 

"The map was lying then-" you reason.

"The map never lies. Neb's alive. And she's right there." Stark points to...Peter?

"Me? Im- I'm not even a girl..." Peter says, going white with fear.

"Not you. Your rat." Stark snarls.

"Neb? Nebula has been in my family for-" 

"Twelve years. A curiously long life for a common garden rat." Stark says bitterly. 

"So what?" Peter says.

"She's missing a toe, isn't she?" You ask, all the pieces, slowly coming together.

Stark unfolds a dog-eared clipping from The Daily  
Prophet: it shows Peter in Egypt with his family, Nebula on his shoulder.

"All they could find of Neb was her-" you start.

"Finger. Dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think she was dead. Then she transformed into a  
rat."

You stare into Starks sunken eyes. Wanting to believe. Desperately wanting to believe. 

You glance at Peter, his agonized face. Nebula squirms in his hands.

"Show me." You ask.

Rogers and Stark turn to Peter.

"What are you going to do to her?" Peter asks.

Stark and Rogers exchange a glance.

"Together." They nod in unison.

With that, Rogers takes out his wand and, as one, he and Stark cast a stream of blue-white light. Nebula twists madly in midair, then FLASH! transforms into a very short woman with gray and red, thinning hair and grubby hands.

"T-Tony... S-Steve. My old friends." She wails.

Neither speaks. Neb's small, watery eyes dart  
toward the windows and door. Suddenly, she makes a break for it, but Tony merely shoves her back.

Neb's nose twitches, her gaze finding you. Her hands flutter nervously, reveal a missing index finger.

"_____! Look at you! Y-you look just like your mother. Like Carol. We were the best of friends, she and I-" 

"Shut up!" Tony growls.

"I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself what you  
would have done, Tony. What would you have done!" She wails.

"Died! Died rather than betray my friends! And you should have realized, Neb, if Thanos didn't kill you...  
We would." 

"No... please... you can't..." She begs, her eyes darting around the room. 

"Peter! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat..."

Peter draws back in disgust. Neb turns to Michelle.

"Sweet girl. Clever girl. Surely you won't let them..."

As one, Rogers and Stark raise their wands, and point them directly into Neb's face. She shrinks back trembling, closing her eyes in fear, when... a strange feeling overtakes you.

"No." You says sternly.

Neb's eyelids lift. Roger and Stark turn, staggered.

"_____, this woman she..."

"I know what she is. But we'll take her to the castle."

"Bless you, girl! Bless you-" she throws herself on your feet.

"Get off! I said we'd take you to the castle. After that, the Dementors can have you."


	22. Two Places At Once

As Neb emerges from the gap, she prattles  
desperately, "Turn me into a maggot. A dung beetle. A Flobberworm! Anything but the Dementors..."

She then turns to Peter as he emerges from the passage, "Peter! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat..."

As Peter draws back in disgust, a sleepwalking Laufeyson bumps his head against a low limb. Michelle turns to you.

"Don't worry. He's under the Somnambulist Charm. It's primarily used to transport the seriously deranged." 

You nod, then Neb's pleading eyes find Michelle.

"Sweet girl. Clever girl. Surely you won't let them..."

Michelle tugs her robes from Neb's sweaty grasp.

You turn away and see Stark shining radiantly under staring in wonder at the castle, the bright bowl of the night sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it? I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again. Freely." He turns to you, "That was a noble thing you did back there. She doesn't deserve it."

You study Neb briefly, then look away, lost in thought.

"I don't reckon my mother's would've wanted her best friends to become killers for a worthless piece of vermin like Neb. Besides: Dead, the truth dies with her. Alive...you're free." 

Stark studies you, he seems moved by this.

"I don't know if you know,______, but when you were born, your parents made me your guardian..."

"I know." You nod.

"And, well, I'll understand if you choose to stay with your aunt and uncle, but, so you know, you could-" 

"Come live with you?" You say, hopefully. 

"Soon as my name's cleared..." 

You look at Midgards and grin happily. Tony does the same. Then, Michelles voice rises on the air, quavering with fear.

"______..."

You turn, and see Michelle staring at the full moon. Your eyes shift. Rogers is a rigid silhouette, his fingers twitching.

"Steve, old friend... did you take your potion tonight?" Tony asks.

Rogers, twitching, shakes his head.

"Run. All of you. Now!" Tony yells.

But none of you do, transfixed, watching as bristles poke through Rogers skin. Tony steps forward, and wraps his arms around his friend.

"You know the man you truly are. This flesh is only flesh. This heart is where you truly live. This heart! Here!"

As Rogers wand drops...Neb leaps.

"No!" You shriek. 

You flash your wand, "Expelliarmus!"

Rogers wand flies from Neb's hand and she freezes. Then slowly turns. Face blank, eyes closed, she grins evilly and transforms. Stunned, you watch a rat   
dart into the night.

A howl pierces the air and you wheel. With a shrug, Rogers tosses Tony into the air, then turns. He is no longer human. He's a werewolf. 

You snatch Peter's arm and everyone begins to edge back.

"Professor...?" Michelle says.

The werewolf's eyes blaze. Long teeth glitter. Then...  
a horrifying growl erupts from its throat. You Michelle, and Peter spin, and begin to flee; and run flat into Laufeyson. As you all collapse in a great clumsy pile, Laufeyson's eyes flutter open, the spell broken. Seeing Michelle atop him, he sweeps her aside...

"Out of the way!"

He only finds the werewolf preparing to pounce. Leaping to his feet, Laufeyson draws his wand and steps forward, and to your surprise, shields you, Michelle, and Peter.

The werewolf howls then sprints forward, when suddenly, a giant dog intercepts it in midair. They hit the ground in a fierce tangle of flashing teeth, a single horrible flailing beast. Again and again, the dog pushes the werewolf back, but the werewolf is too strong.

"Tony!" You yell.

The dog yelps, and then roars in pain, and the werewolf flings it into the tall grass. As it charges after, you push past Laufeyson, dash into the night.

You hear Peter call your name, but you ignore him.   
You run full out. Up ahead, framed against the full moon, you spy the dog, lying inert, the werewolf's razor-sharp claws suspended over its neck.

"NO!!!" You shout.

Desperately, you pluck a thick branch from the woods and hurl it with all your might. Bull's-eye. The werewolf freezes; turns and begins to move toward you.

You draw your wand, terrified, but tormented knowing Rogers dwells somewhere within the beast.

"Please, Professor. Stop... It's me." 

Suddenly, a howl pierces the night.

The werewolf falters, cocking its head toward the sound. You wait, petrified. The werewolf's eyes shift back to you. It snarls, moves closer, ready to kill. 

You cover your face with your arm, when, a second howl echoes high above the forest. Slowly, you drop your arm and look. The werewolf bounds toward the forest, vanishes. 

Your eyes shift. In the darkness, the wounded dog lurches through the tall grass. Falls, rises then falls again. Each time becoming more human. As he disappears over the ridge, you sprint after him.  
_

You stumble down to Tony, who lies on the water's edge, now fully a man, arms and face gleaming with lacerations.

"Tony!" You cry

You look into his glassy eyes.

"Tony!"

A fragile mist escapes your mouth. A raw wind tosses your hair. Goosebumps pebble your skin. A fringe of ice appears at the lake's edge. Then they appear, oozing like smoke through the tree across the lake. Dementors.

"No... No !" You mutter, drawing your wand.  
"Expecto... Patronum!"

A thin silvery wisp weeps from your wand, hovering like a veil, but the Dementors continue to come. You place your hand on Tony's heaving heart, and poise your wand once more:

"Expecto... Patronum..."

Your Patronus blooms briefly...but dies. 

Your eyes flutter, the Dementors twisting madly in your vision, drawing closer, then Tony gasps; silvery feathers of light tumble from his lips, as if his very soul were leaving him.

Then a bright, brilliant light splinters the trees. You squint, and sees a fiery stag appear, its body luminous, slashing through the trees, sowing light in the darkness. The Dementors wilt in its wake, but more replace them, sweeping down in waves. 

Still, the stag charges on. The light expands; The forest blazing with it. The remaining Dementors flee, drifting across the moon like ash.

The light ebbs. The stag's luminous body flickers. There is a bright flash and darkness returns, a single thread of light is all that remains, spinning down to the size of a pearl in the palm of person, standing deep in the trees. 

You study the strangely familiar silhouette, then its gone.

Silence drops like a curtain, all around you.  
_

Wind ripples against the curtain that encircles your bed. You reach your hand out and sweep the curtain aside. Peter lies in the bed next to yours, and Michelle stands by it, opposite, his bandaged leg, very close to him.

Only moments later, she notices you.

"______-" She starts.

"I saw my mom." You smile.

"What...?"

"She sent the Dementors away...I saw her. Across the lake..."

She exchanges a glance with Peter, and turns back.

"Listen, _____. They've captured Tony. Any minute the Dementors are going to perform the Kiss."

"The Kiss...?" You ask.

"It's what Dementors do to those they want to destroy. They clamp their jaws over the victim's mouth and... suck out their soul."

"You mean, they're going to kill Tony?"

"No. It's worse. Much worse. You go on living. But you have no memory. No sense of self. You'd just be a shell. An empty shell..." Michelle shudders.

As you react, the door opens and Professor Strange enters.

"Headmaster! You've got to stop them! They've got the wrong man!" Michelle cries.

"It's true, sir. Tony is innocent-" you start.

"It's Nebula who did it!" Peter calls.

"Nebula...?" Strange asks.

"My rat, a rat. Only she's not really- well, she was a rat. At first, see, she was my cousin's-" 

"Peter!" Michelle shushes, "The point is... we know the truth. Please, sir, you must believe us."

"I do, Miss Jones. But I'm sorry to say the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will convince few  
others. A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who have forgotten how to  
listen."

As Strange turns to the window, a shooting star plummets silently through the sky.

"Ah... a shooting star. If ever one was to make a wish, now would be the time. But time, I'm afraid, is precisely our problem..." 

On cue, the midnight bell begins to chime.

"Mysterious thing, time. Powerful. And, when meddled with... dangerous. Tony Stark is in the  
topmost cell of the Dark Tower." He turns to Michelle, "You know the laws, Miss Jones.  
You must not be seen. And you would, I feel, do well to return before this last chime. If not...well, the consequences are really too ghastly to discuss. Three  
turns should do it, I think. If you succeed, more than one innocent life may be spared tonight."

Strange hands you and Michelle each a stick of chocolate, then starts to go, but stops.

"By the way, when in doubt, I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin...Good luck." 

He exits.

You glance curiously at Peter who looks just as confused. 

"I hate to ask, but uh, what was all that about?" Peter asks.

But Michelle doesn't reply, she instead starts looping a pendant's long chain around your neck as well as her own.

"Sorry, Peter. But seeing as you can't walk..." 

She clicks a small button three times on the hourglass pendant and it begins to spin furiously, all around you time seems to move past in a dizzying backward blur, as if a tape were being rewound, every moment that occurred in the hospital room flickering by at a dizzying speed; while outside the window, darkness gives way to dusk and the sun "un-sets," returning to its place low on the horizon.  
-

"What just happened? Where's Peter?" You ask.

Michelle ignores the question, and instead eyes the clock on the wall.

"Seven-thirty. Where were we at seven-thirty?" She asks.

"Huh? Dunno... going to Bruce's?" You shrug

"Come on! We can't be seen!" Michelle grabs you arm, and slams you through the door.  
_

You and Michelle come to a mad, huffing halt.

"Michelle! Will you please tell me what it is we're doing?!" You ask.

She holds up a hand, silencing you. Annoyed, you  
follow her gaze and blink in disbelief. Across the grounds...you see yourself, along with Michelle and Peter, about to confront Liz, Betty, and Flash near the monoliths.

"But that- that's..us. This is not normal." You say in shock.

Dumbfounded, you turn. Michelle holds up her hourglass necklace.

"This is a Time-Turner, ______. T'Challa gave it to me first term. This is how I've been getting to my lessons all year." 

"You mean, we've gone back in time?" You ask.

"Yes. Strange wanted us to return to this moment. Clearly something happened he wants us to change."

A soft smack is heard. You turn, and see Liz land on  
her arse in the Sundial Garden, then rub her bottom.

"Good punch." You say in admiration.

"Hurry! Liz's coming!" 

Michelle pulls you under the bridge. Footsteps clamor over your heads.

Seconds later, you emerge, and marvel at the sight of yourself and Michelle, and Peter heading down the slope to Bruce's hut. Your eyes shift to the pumpkin patch.

"Look. Buckbeak's still alive." Michelle says, "Of course! Remember what Strange said. If we succeed, more than one innocent life could be spared."

"Buckbeak? But... how will saving Buckbeak help save Tony?" You ask.

"We'll see." Michelle nods.  
_

As Buckbeak feasts on a ferret, you and Michelle duck behind a pile of pumpkins. Peering into the hut, you see Michelle and Peter embrace awkwardly.

Your face turns, and you look to Michelle. 

She looks on with considerable fascination. She notices you looking regards you defensively.

"What?" 

"Nothing." You shrug nonchalantly.

You look up toward the slope, and see Ross and the others approaching in a cloud of crows.

"Here they come. I better hurry." You say.

"No! Ross has to see Buckbeak before we steal him. Otherwise, he'll think Bruce set him free!"

You nod, then look toward the hut. Inside, Bruce is handing Nebula to Peter.

"That's Neb-" 

As you start to rise, Michelle grabs you, and speaks  
fiercely.

"No, _____! You can't!" 

"Michelle, that's the woman who betrayed my parents! You don't expect me to just sit here..."

"Yes! You must!" She points inside, "______, you're in Bruce's hut right now. If you go bursting inside, you'll think you've gone mad. Awful things can happen when wizards meddle with time. We can't be seen."

She turns, and Ross and the others drawing closer then she frowns, and glances back into the hut.

"Ross is coming and...we're not leaving... why aren't we leaving?" She ponders

Just then, on the ground beside her, she picks up a rock. Instantly, she grabs it, rises, and hurls it through the open window. SMASH! The sound of a glass jar shattering is heard within the hut.

"Are you mad?" You growl.

She ignores you, and swiftly whistles a second stone through the window and CONK! It bounces off the back of your head.

"Hey! That hurt!" You frown.

"Sorry. C'mon. Any minute now we're going to be   
coming out the back door." 

The Ministers' party arrives, and taps on the door.

Quickly, you and Michelle dash into the trees directly behind the pumpkin patch, just in time to see yourselves; along with Peter, exit the back door and slip behind the pumpkins where, only seconds before, you were hiding. 

As Ross appears at the window and picks his nose as before, Michelle decides to ponder the back of her own head.

"Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?"

"Shhh!" You say sharply 

Michelle sees herself turn. Ducking, she accidentally stirs the branches, then peeks out and sees herself staring curiously at the branches dancing oddly. 

Next you hear her voice: "Nothing, I just thought I saw...Never mind."

You and Michelle watch yourselves start up the slope. The coast clear, you slip out of the trees.

"Now,_____!" Michelle calls.

As you vault into the patch, the crows stir, casing at your ankles, and pecking at your feet.

As you approach, Buckbeak studies your curiously, a ferret leg dangling from his beak. You bow. Buckbeak returns you with a nod. As you take Buckbeak's chain, a flint-eyed crow pecks your hand.

"Get away!" You shoo.

You wave the crow away, and yank hard on Buckbeak's chain.

"C'mon, Buckbeak. Come on..." You mutter.  
Buckbeak refuses to move.

The Midgards bell begins to toll. You and Michelle exchange a glance. You tug the chain harder. No go.

You pull at the chain, straining mightily. Michelle pops up, bows quickly, and dangles a dead ferret before Buckbeak.

"Here, Beaky... Come and get the nice dead ferret... yum yum..." she calls.

You look at her as if she's mad, but it's...working. As Buckbeak trots after, the crows scatter.

You and Michelle lead Buckbeak away when the back door suddenly opens. You freeze...caught... Ross' eyes drifting your way, when Strange raises his hand and directs the attention of the others away from Buckbeak.

You and Michelle shoo Buckbeak along, and disappear into the forest, just as Strange concludes his reverie.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Ross says, annoyed.

You and Michelle, your view now unobstructed by the low stand of trees, watch the Executioner approach the pumpkin patch and stop. Quickly, the confusion in Ross' masked eyes turns to anger.

"But...where is it? I just saw the beast not moments ago- Bruce?" Ross says.

"Beaky..." Bruce says.

Hearing Bruce's voice, Buckbeak strains at his tether, and whimpers eerily. Michelle tosses him another ferret.

"How extraordinary!" Strange says with a hint of amusement in his voice. 

"Come now, Strange. Someone's obviously released him." Ross says, irritated.

"I swear! I didn't!" Bruce defends.  
-

You and Michelle race through the trees as Buckbeak lopes easily behind.

"Now what?" You ask.

"We save Tony." Michelle nods.

"And we do that... how?"

"No idea."  
_

The Whomping Willow is thrashing. You watch Michelle disappear down the hole, then a figure approaches the tree, Rogers.

"Look. It's Rogers." Michelle says.

As the Whomping Willow begins to thrash, its violence oddly muted at this distance, Rogers takes a stick, pokes a knot on the trunk. Instantly, the Willow calms.

"Wait until Wanda and Pietro hear about that one." You smile.

"Here comes Laufeyson." Michelle points.

As Rogers disappears into the gap at the base of the tree, Laufeyson makes his way down the slope.

"And now we wait." Michelle sighs.  
_

"Least someone's enjoying himself." She says as Buckbeak gobbles up a bat.

You and Michelle sit together in the lengthening shadows. You snap off a piece of chocolate, and hand it to Michelle.

"Michelle..." You say.

"Yes?"

"Before. When Peter- Errr never mind. What I'm trying to say is. Something between us has been off."

She pauses for a minute. Deep in thought.

"It's you he loves." She says sadly. "Really. I can't get him to shut up about you. He doesn't even see me." 

You raise your eyebrow.

"Listen. If you hesitate next year...I won't." She looks at you with a fire in her eyes. "I really like him. And I know you like him too. So for now, I'll let you figure it out."

You nod, not sure of what to say, and not wanting to press Michelle further. Peter...loves you?

You then glance beyond the trees, toward the Whomping Willow.

Michelle looks at you.

Shadows emerge under a full moon: Stark, You, Neb, Rogers, Michelle, Peter. Sleepwalking Laufeyson...

You study yourself and Tony.

"You see Tony talking to me? He's asking me to come live with him." You smile.

"Really?" Michelle says.

You nod, "When we free him, I'll never have to go back to my Aunt and Uncles'. I'm going to tell him I'd like to live someplace in the country. I think he'd like that, after all those years in Azkaban. We don't need a big place and I can help him..." 

A howl pierces the night. Michelle glances toward the Willow.

"It's happened. Rogers' transformed."

"Which means Neb is slipping safely into the night. While we just stand here..." you frown.

A fierce growling is heard as twin silhouettes, the dog and the werewolf, bound into the tall grass.

You watch yourself appear, hurl the stick as before. The werewolf turns, begins to stalk...

"OWWWWWWWWW!"

You wheel, and sees Michelle, hands cupped to her mouth, making a loud howl. You cover her mouth.

"What are you doing?"

"Saving your life."

You look back to the tall grass. The werewolf is  
frozen. As before, it begins to approach you again. 

"OWWWWWWWW! "

This time, you don't stop her.

"Thanks. But we have to move." 

"Why?" She asks.

"Because that werewolf you just called is running right this way." 

You exchange a glance and run.

You and Michelle dash for your lives, swinging behind a huge tree. The werewolf appears, and pauses. As it approaches the tree, you and Michelle silently sidestep in the opposite direction, until the werewolf, disappears.

"Buckbeak. We've got to find him." Michelle says.

But there reveals the werewolf, fifteen feet past, waiting. As your and Michelle step out, you freeze. The werewolf poises itself, preparing to pounce, when... SKREEEK! The trees shake with the fury of a hurricane; and Buckbeak charges into the clearing, screening you and Michelle. 

The werewolf snarls angrily, and makes to charge. With lightning-fast reflexes, Buckbeak's claws slash the air, only inches from the werewolf's face. The werewolf stops, eyes glittering with rage, then howls. Turning, it vanishes into the forest.

"Poor Professor Rogers is having a really tough night..." You frown.

Just then, a chill wind rises...

The leaves of the trees tremble, and eerie shadows   
flutter over the moon, like smoke... Dementors.

"Let's go." You call.

Looking upward, through the trees as the sky wheels by, Dementors are streaking in and out of .

You reach the edge of the lake.

You feel shocked and he terror-stricken.

Opposite you, across the lake, a cyclone of Dementors whirl madly above you and Tony.

You watch yourself vainly attempt to conjure a Patronus as the cyclone only continues to grow.

"This is horrible..." Michelle says.

"Don't worry. My mom will come...Right there... you'll see... she'll come... any minute... she'll conjure the Patronus." You murmur.

Michelle eyes you warily. You are transfixed, staring hungrily toward the outcrop. The wind rises. The Lake begins to freeze. One after another, Dementors drop from the sky, vanish in the cyclone.

"Listen, no one's coming, _____..." Michelle pleads.

"SHE WILL! She will come!" You say desperately.

You look. Nothing. 

"No one's coming! You're dying, both of you... and no one's coming!" She cries.

It was like a riddle had unraveled in your brain, your face changes. You draw your wand.

"______, NO!" Michelle says.

Too late. You slash through the trees, down to the rocky outcrop, to the exact spot where you thought your mother appeared. Poising you wand, you look out over the sea of Dementors on the other side of the lake.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" You shout.

A wisp of silver escapes your wand, hovering like a mist, then blooms magnificently. The trees explode with light. The Lake blazes with reflected light. 

You stand utterly still, wand extended to the heavens. Across the lake, the Dementors retreat. You wait, still as a statue, until each and every one is gone.

Then you simply let your arm drop.  
_

You and Michelle fly toward the castle, soaring through the sky, atop Buckbeak. Outside the grounds, the Dementors wait restlessly. Up ahead, Ross and Laufeyson enter the Dark Tower, torches in hand.

"You were right, Michelle. It wasn't my mom I saw earlier. It was... me! I saw myself conjuring the Patronus before. I knew I could do it this time, because...because I'd already done it. Does that make sense?" You smile.

Michelle contemplates this.

"No. But I don't like this!" Michelle shrieks as Buckbeak lands.   
_

Tony paces within a small cell, a man condemned.  
He finally spies you and Michelle. He looks stunned.

Michelle pushes past you

"Out of the way!"

She raises her wand, "Alohomora!"

Tony tests the iron door. It's still locked.

"Didn't really expect that to work." She shrugs.

"Maybe you'll want to try-" you start.

"Quiet! I'm trying to think." She paces, then stops.

"BOMBARDA!" She yells.

The cell door rockets into the sky.

"That'll do." You shrug

Buckbeak spirits you, Michelle and Tony off the terrace, just as Laufeyson and Ross reach the top of the Tower.

Tony laughs, hair blowing in the wind.

"You truly are your mother's daughter, _____!"  
_

Tony puts his hands to Michelle's waist, and swings her off Buckbeak and onto the ground next to you.

"I'll be forever grateful for this. To both of you."

"I want to go with you." You plead.

"One day perhaps. For some time...life will be too... unpredictable. Besides, you're meant to be here." Tony claps your shoulder, and looks you in the eye.  
"But promise me something, ______."

"Anything." You nod.

"Trust yourself. No matter the challenges you face- and I fear they will be many, you'll be surprised how many times you can find the answers..." he taps his heart, "...here." 

Tony climbs atop Buckbeak.

Tony gives Buckbeak a slap and they soar into the glittering sky. You and Michelle stand watching, you turn to you friend and hug her meaningfully. 

Then suddenly DING!

You wheel, and look to the Clock Tower.

"We have to go." Michelle says.

You and Michelle dash off, you race up the tower stairway, then passing through the mechanism and on through to the end of the corridor. 

The Clock Tower bell thunders. The door to the infirmary opens, and Professor Strange backs out.

As Strange begins to close the door, you and Michelle stumble frantically forward, the door about to hit the jamb, when, suddenly; Strange stops, and looks up.

"Well?" Strange says.

"He's free- Tony. We...we did it." You say.

"Did what?" With a twinkle in his eye, Strange swings open the infirmary door, and you and Michelle enter.

You both catch the faintest glimpse of yourselves... across the room... just as you evaporate. 

Peter blinks, turns, and frowns.

"How'd you two get over there? I was just talking to you...over there." Peter glances to the other side of the room.

Michelle glances mischievously to you.

"What d'you think, _____? Too much for him- everything that's happened tonight?" 

"Definitely. Come on Peter, how could anyone be in two places as once?" You smirk mischievously.

Peter stares at you both, very confounded. Slowly, the two of you grin.


	23. Mischief Managed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of Year 3

The Whomping Willow sways in a light breeze. The Black Lake shimmers, clouds drifting in its glassy mirror. You turn away from the window and continue walking up the staircase until you enter the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

You walk softly toward an open door- Roger's  
office, and peer in. Rogers stands over a battered suitcase, filling it with the last of his books. Without turning, he speaks.

"Hello, _____."

You jump. Rogers turns, and smiles through haggard eyes.

"Saw you coming."

The Marauder's Map lies open on an otherwise bare desk. You nod, and look back to Rogers. Unable to disguise your shock at his appearance.

"I've looked worse, believe me."

You eye the open desk drawers...the bare bookshelves...

"You've been sacked." You frown.

"Resigned, actually." Rogers says.

"Resigned! But why!" You cry.

"It seems that someone has let slip the nature of my condition." 

"Laufeyson." You snarl.

"Whoever. It was bound to get out. This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving. Parents will not want a- someone like me teaching their children." Rogers says somberly.

"But Strange-" 

"Has already risked enough on my behalf. Besides, people like me, well... let's just say I'm used to this by now. But before I go, tell me about your Patronus." He grins.

"Well. At first I thought it was a horse, or perhaps a unicorn, but I think it was-" 

"A stag." He says.

"Yes." You nod.

"Your mother used to transform into one. That's how she was able to keep me company when I became...  
sick. She was a great friend, Carol." 

Wanly, He lifts his rickety suitcase.

"There are stories about her and your father, you know. Some are even true. But I think it's safe to say, in the end, you'll know them best by getting to know yourself." Rogers then, with a wicked twinkle, raises his wand.

"Mischief managed; And because I am no longer your teacher, I do not feel bad about giving this back to you."

You watch the Map go blank. 

"Goodbye, _____. I'm sure we'll see one another again soon enough." He nods and walks out of the office.   
_

"Stand back, I said! I'll take it upstairs if you don't settle!" You hear Peter yell from the great hall. 

As you arrive, you glance at Michelle, who clears her throat loudly. The others turn, begin all speaking at once.

"______! Wherever did you get it!" 

"Can I have a go, _____? You, of course-" 

"Quiet!" Peter says.

The group obliges. 

"Thank you. Let the woman through."

Mystified, you step forward, your classmates peeling away, clearing your view of the broomstick in Peter's hands. The label gleams: "Stormbreaker."

You turn, "Whose is that?"

Everyone laughs.

"Whose is it? It's yours, mate." Luke Cage grins.

"But... how?" You say in disbelief.

"It's a mystery. Though...this fell out of the wrapping." Michelle holds up a feather.

"That's a Hippogriff feather-" you stop.

As you stop short, Michelle raises her eyebrow. You share a secret glance.  
_

The huge vertical doors burst open and you, trailed by the others, exit with the Stormbreaker into the training grounds. As you stride off, others join the assembly Bruce, Liz, Betty, and Flash among them- curious to see what the commotion is all about.

As you stop, an expectant hush hangs over the moment.

"Go on, _____." Remy says.

"Yeah. Let's see." Ned smiles.

You mount the broom. You lick your finger and jab it in the air. A few others do the same. Finally, you place your hand on the broom. You set your grip. Take a breath. And...frown.

"What's wrong?" Wanda and Pietro say in unison.

"I don't think it works."

Everyone groans. Dejected, many of the kids begin to  
A collective drift toward the castle. You call after.

"Oh, come on now. It's just a broom."

Your eyes shift to Pietro and Wanda.

"Maybe your just too....apprehensive." Pietro says.

"Good point, Pietro. I believe have an idea of how to fix it...hey _____, you know Peter has a HUGGEEE crush on you, right?" Wanda grins.

"What?!” You yelp loudly in embarrassment. 

Everyone turns.

WHOOSH! You jet off, and dart like a bullet into the sky. You race upward. You scream, a scream of release, of utter abandon.

It's a scream of joy.

End of Year 3


	24. Quidditch World Cup

Don't go inside. 

No. No! No!

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

You shoot awake in a flurry of panic. 

"______!" Michelle yells in your face.

You're still flustered and panicking from your strange dream.

"Are you alright?" She asks.

"Michelle, oh. Uh, Bad dream. When did you get  
here?"

"Just now, Ned just arrived as well. You?" She asks.

"Last night." You think for a moment, and then blush slightly, remembering what happened the night before.

Michelle looks at you strangely, then goes over to Peter's bed. 

"Wake up. Wake up Peter!" She yells. 

He doesn't move, and she rolls her eyes and then yanks off his covers. 

"Oh my god." Peter groans. 

"Geez. Get dressed, and don't go back to sleep. Come on Peter! Your Aunt says breakfast's ready."   
_

You sling the backpack over your shoulder.

"Where are we actually going?" You ask Peter.

He shrugs, "Hey May! Where are we going?" 

"I have no clue, keep up!" His aunt yells back. 

Peter looks at you once more and shrugs, and then walks over to greet Ned. You sigh wishing he would make another move. 

"May! It's about time." A man says, appearing on the trail ahead.

"Sorry Carmen. Some of us had a bit of a sleepy start." May looks to Peter, and then back to the man, "This is Carmen Pryde everyone, he works with me at the ministry. And this must be your daughter Katherine, right?"

"Yes ma'am." A voice replies, suddenly a very beautiful girl hops out of the tree in front of you and shakes May's hand.

Carmen Pryde then turns to you, "Goodness— you must be _____ Marvel."

"Yes sir." You nod. 

"Great, great pleasure." He smiles, and the two of you shake hands.

"Pleasure to meet you too sir."

After a quick walk, everyone exits the wooded path and walks towards a large hill in the middle of a wide grassed clearing.

"That's it, just over there." May calls. 

"Shall we? We don't want to be late." Carmen Pryde nods, and begins walking up the hill, everyone trailing behind him.

"Why are they all standing around that dusty old boot?" You mutter to yourself.

"That isn't just any dusty old boot." Wanda Maximoff says, popping up behind you, seemingly out of nowhere. 

"Oh my—" You gasp, startled.

"It's a portkey." Pietro finishes. 

"When did—" you start.

"Your boyfriend invited us." Wanda says.

"He's not my boyfriend...!" You say, turning scarlet.

"Don't lie ____~" Pietro laughs. 

"It's not true. I— neither one of us have time for such a silly thing anyway." You scoff. 

"So you admit you both like each other?" Wanda grins. 

"What—? No— that's...that's not what I meant. Hey, you know, why don't you guys go bother Peter about this?" 

Wanda and Pietro shrug, and you turn and realize the group had separated to form a a circle around the boot, placing their hands upon the worn leather surface. You gaze at them in confusion.

"Time to go. Ready?" Carmen says. "After 3. One... Two..."

"______!" Peter calls.

You rush over and he grabs your hand and places it on the boot, and he rests his hand square on top of yours. Your stomach flips.

"Three!"

There's a white flash and suddenly you're all flying through the air. You feel sick, there's a whirl of colors and hot air spinning all around. Everyone else seems to cheer in excitement. 

"Let go kids!" May announces.

"What??" Michelle responds.

"Let! Go!" 

You, Michelle, Peter, and the rest of the group let go of the boot and crash to the ground with a thump. May, Carmen and Katherine come down more gracefully, skillfully landing on their feet. 

"I bet that cleared your sinuses, huh?" May laughs.

Katherine helps you to your feet.

"Thanks." You nod.

Katherine smiles, and joins her father.

You walk across the field, and gaze in awe at your surroundings, there's a massive crowd gathered and cheering, with tacky tents set up all over the place.

"Well kids, welcome to the Quidditch World Cup!" May grins.

You and Peter walk into the crowd, taking in the sights. Music is playing and people fly about overhead on brooms. The group approaches a small  
tent.

"See you at the match." Carmen waves to May. Carmen and Katherine separate from your group and walk off.

"See ya later Katherine." You wave.

May stops in front of them not of the tacky tents and slips inside. 

"Home sweet home." Peter nods, gazing at the tiny tent in front of you.

You however feel very worried. How is the whole group supposed to fit in a single raggedy tent?

Peter lifts the flap and you sigh, entering after him, however the inside is of the tent many times bigger than the outside, fully furnished, with a fireplace and at least 3 bedrooms.

For a moment you a wordless but then you simply smile. 

"I love magic."

Peter grins at you, eyes soft, and pats you on the head, ruffling your hair. Then he walks away going to speak with Ned who had just entered the tent as well. 

Your face turns apprehensive. 

Was he even gonna acknowledge what had happened the night before? When you two had kissed one another? His lips were surprisingly soft. 

You wondered if your lips felt the same, or if they were still puffy. Or maybe if you had any bruises on you chin. Or if he had any bruises on his. Your own face got red just thinking about it. Truth be told, you weren't even aware of the growing romantic tension between you and Peter, and last night it just burst. 

Recalling everything best you could, you'd arrived at Peter's bit late, but you didn't mind. The two of you were just sitting on the floor talking, and then you locked eyes. Suddenly you were both entranced, and couldn't look away. And before you knew it both of your lip were pressed together, wandering all over each other's face and neck, a primal craving to be closer. And then it just stopped, and you both went to bed as if nothing had happened. 

Mays voice interrupts your thoughts. 

"Everyone chose a bunk and unpack. Peter and Ned, get out of the kitchen we're all hungry."

"Yeah get out of the kitchen Peter." Wanda and Pietro say putting their feet up on the dinner table.

"Feet off the table kids." May says.

"Feet off the table." They day in unison, say strictly, whipping their feet off the table, but lifting them back up as soon as May walks past.  
_

The Quidditch stadium was incredible, at least 100,000 people had to be attending the cup. You and your friends were walking along, trying to find your seats.

"May, exactly how far up are we?" Peter asks.

"Well put it this way, if it rains...you'll be the first to know." A voice says pompously.

You look down to the platform below; there stands none other than Liz Allan and her father, Adrien, walking below you.

"Father and I are in the minister's box, by personal invitation of Thaddeus Ross himself." Liz smirks.

"Don't boast Elizabeth. There's no need with these people." You go to walk away from them but Adrien grabs your shoe and stops you, "Do enjoy yourself won't you? While you can." He says sinisterly.

You swallow hard and snatch your foot away, following everyone up the steps.  
_

The ceremonies begin. Balloons fly and magical fireworks go off.

"Come on up, take your seats. I told you these seats would be worth waiting for." May says, pushing everyone along.

"Come on!" Wanda cheers.

"It's the Irish!" Ned claps excitedly. 

Five green and white figures fly through the air on their brooms leaving a green and white colored trail behind them. A glittering leprechaun firework appears in the sky and starts dancing. Everyone claps and cheers.

"Here come the Bulgarians!!" Peter yells loudly.

Five red figures appear this time, one of them performs a stunt on his broom, then appears on the large screen. The crowd begins to chant 'Thor, Thor, Thor'.

"THORRR!!!" Peter, Wanda and Pietro all shriek in unison. You smile at them and roll your eyes.

Thor waves to the crowd.

A loud voice begins speaking, you recognize it as Thaddeus Ross, Minister of Magic,"Good evening everyone! It gives me great pleasure to welcome each and every one of you, to the final of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup. Let the match begin!"  
_

"There's no one like Thor. He's like a bird the way he rides the wind. He's more than an athlete, he's an artist." Peter says defensively.

The twins are bumbling about in a comical way muttering 'THORRRRR'.

"Think you're in love Peter?" Penni asks.

"Thor I love you! Thor I do!" The twins sing.

You join in.

"When we're apart my heart beats only for youuu!" You all laugh. 

A loud explosion goes off and screams sound outside the tent.

"Sounds like the irish have got their pride on." Pietro laughs.

"Stop! Stop it. It's not the irish. We've gotta get out of here. Now." May mutters.

Everyone steps outside, it's utter chaos, people running, screaming. Smoke is in the air, tents are on fire.

"Get back to the portkey everybody, and stick together. Peter, Ned...Pepper is your responsibility." May nods.

That's when you notice them, some figures in pointed hoods carrying flaming torches are walking  
across the campsite chanting ominous noises. The crowd is panicked and rushing all over.

You too start to panic, you notice Peter and Ned drifting out of sight, Michelle following. You stop for just a moment, just to see where to go, but people shove past you, and you are suddenly trampled unconscious.  
_

You stir and look around, the sky is grey, smoke fills the air and the burnt corpses of thousands of tents sit there like ghosts. 

Then you notice a man standing in the distance, you see his body turn, and start darting toward you. You leap up and run. You run straight into someone and thud to the ground. The familiar voices of Peter and Michelle fill your ears.

"______! Thank god, We've been looking for you for ages...I-I thought we lost you." He pulls you into a hug.

When you pull away you see Michelle standing there awkwardly. You see a green wisp in the sky and look upwards. 

"What is THAT?" You gasp.

You all look at the monstrous thing in the sky, and you hold your head in excruciating pain. Suddenly you here a fire of spells and Peter pulls you to the ground, just missing the wand fire.

"Stop! That's my family." May shouts.

Aunt May and others approach.

"Peter, _____, Michelle are you alright?" May asks gently.

"Which of you conjured this?" A very serious looking man asks.

"You can't possibly-" May begins.

"Do not lie! You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!" The man shouts.

"Crime?" You ask.

"Zebediah, they're just kids." May says.

"What crime?" You ask again.

"______ it's the dark mark...it's his mark." Michelle says.

"Those people tonight, in the masks...they're his too aren't they? They're his- followers." You ask expectantly.

"Follow me." The man called Zebediah says.

"There was a man. Before. There." You point.

"All of you, this way." Zebediah says, pulling the Ministry officials away.

"_____, who?" May asks.

"I dunno. I didn't see his face." You shrug.  
_

You, Peter and Michelle are seated on the Midgards Express. A voice calls out, 

"Anything from the trolley? Anything from the trolley?"

The trolley witch appears at your door.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" She asks.

Peter stands up and looks at the cart, "Packet of drewbals and a liquorice wand." 

He sees he hasn't enough money.

"On second thought, just the drewbals."

You frown and touch his arm gently, "It's alright I'll get it." 

He pulls away, "Just the drewbals, thanks." 

You stand at the trolley, just browsing.

Then, Miles Morales walks up to the trolley.

You knew him from Quidditch, he was the Ravenclaw seeker. He was nice, and a bit handsome. 

"Two pumpkin pasties please." He asks the trolley witch. 

You and Miles look at each other and smile.

"Thank you." He tells the trolley witch and waves.

The trolley witch turns to you, "Anything sweet for you dear?"

"Oh...no thank you I'm not hungry." You turn away back into your compartment and plop next to Peter.

"This is horrible, how can the ministry not know who conjured it. Isn't there any security?" Michelle complains.

"Loads according to May, that's what worried them so much. Happened right under their noses." Peter turns to you, "It's hurting again isn't it, your scar?"

"I'm fine." You shrug.

"You know Tony will want to hear about this. What you saw at the world cup, and the dream." Michelle says.

You scribble down a quick message to Tony, and mark his name on the envelope. You stroke Hedwig, then give her the letter and watch as she soars out of the train window.  
_

"Now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests  
as well. You see Midgards has been choosen..." Strange pauses.

Caretaker Lee runs up the aisle limping in a comical way, he whispers something to Strange and leaves in the same fashion.

"Eh emm, Midgards has been choosen to host  
a legendary event. The Tri-Wizard tournament.  
Now for those of you who do not know, the tri-wizard tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a  
single contestant is selected to compete. Now let me be clear, if choosen you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint hearted, but more of that later. For now please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Red Room Academy of magic and their headmistress Natasha Romanoff."

A group of girls dressed in red dance up the aisle and release butterflies into the air. They bow and everyone applauds.

"That's one beautiful woman." Remy says as Natasha walks up.

"And now our friends from the north, please greet the proud students of Bifröst and the high master Sutur." Strange says.

A series of older boys walk up the aisle brandishing bo staffs, twirling them around and periodically stabbing them into the ground with a spark effect.

"Oh my god it's- it's him, Thor!" Peter says dramatically. 

The students of Bifröst breathe some fire as there encore. 

"Stephen!" Sutur greets.

"Sutur." Strange nods. 

They embrace.  
_

"Now that we are fed and watered, your attention please! I would like to say a few words. Eternal glory, that is what awaits the student who wins the tri-wizard tournament. But to do this that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks."

"Wicked." Pietro and Wanda grin. 

"For this reason the ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this we have the head of the department of international magic cooperation Mister Zebediah Killgrave." 

Suddenly, thunder roars overhead, rain begins leaking through the enchanted roof and screams break out. A strange man stands in the doorway, he  
casts some magic upwards and seals the roof. Peace is restored.

"Oh hell, it's Nick Fury." Peter gasps.

"Nicholas Fury? The auror?" Michelle says.

"Half the cells in Azkaban are full thanks to him. He's supposed to be mad as a hatter though  
these days." Peter shutters.

The man enters the Great Hall and begins walking. He limps, breathing heavily as he goes. In his head, a mechanical eye spins wildly in its socket.

Nick Fury sits at the head table and pulls out a flask, and takes a drink.

"What's that he's drinking do you suppose?" Remy asks.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's Pumpkin Juice." You say suspiciously. 

"Excuse me." Zebediah Killgrave says, "After much deliberation the ministry has concluded that for their own safety no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the tri-wizard tournament. This decision is final."

The crowd is unsettled, and people are booing, particularly the twins. They were currently shouting 'that's rubbish!'

"You don't know what you're doing!" Wanda complains.

"Silence!" Strange shouts.

Suddenly, Strange casts magic over a large box that had been wheeled in front of his podium. It melds into a silver goblet containing a bright blue flame.

"The Goblet of Fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament merely write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly, if choosen there's no turning back. As from this moment the Tri-Wizard tournament has begun."  
_

There's a loud chatter in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Everyone sits anxiously in anticipation. Professor Fury enters and the class goes dead silent.

He walks to the front of the classroom and writes his name on the chalk board.

"Professor Fury. Ministry malcontent. And your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'm here  
because Strange asked me, end of story, goodbye, the end. Any questions?" 

The class stays silent. 

"When it comes to the dark arts, I believe in a practical approach. But first, which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are?"

Michelle, without raising her hand, blurts out the answer, "Three sir." 

"And they are so named?" 

"Because they are unforgivable. Use of any one of them will..." she stops.

"Will earn you a one way ticket to Azkaban. The ministry says you're too young to see what these curses do. I say different. You need to know what you're up against, you need to be prepared, and  
you need to find somewhere else to put your chewing gum other than the underside of your desk Mr. LeBeau." 

"Aw no way, the old man can see out the back of his head." Remy groans softly. 

Professor Fury glares at him and continues the lesson, "So, which curse shall we see first? Ah, Mr. Parker." 

"Uh, Yes..." He says nervously.

"Give us a curse."

"Well, my aunt d-did tell me about...the imperious curse." 

"Ahhh yes, Gave the ministry quite a bit of grief a few years ago. Perhaps this will show you why." 

Professor Fury pops open a jar with a spider in it.  
He casts the imperious curse and uses his wand to send it darting around the class, it follows his will unwaveringly. 

"Don't worry. Completely harmless." He laughs, "But if it bites it'll be lethal."

Liz laughs.

"What are you laughing at?" He asks.

He sends the spider onto Liz's face.

The class laughs. 

"Talented isn't it? What shall I have it do next? Jump out the window? Drown itself?" He says seriously.

He has the spider over a bucket of water, it's wriggling desperately.

"Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only do did you-know-whose bidding under the influence of the imperious curse. But how do we sort out the liars? Let's hear another, Come on come on. Mr. Leeds is it? Up." 

Ned Leeds stands.

"Professor Groot tells me you have an aptitude for herbology." Fury nods.

He thinks for a moment, as if it pains him greatly, and says "There's the um...The cruciatus curse."

Peter next to you wiggles uncomfortably. 

"Correct. Come, come. Particularly nasty. The torture curse."

Mad-Eye begins torturing the spider with magic, it squeals, and shrivels. It deeply unsettles everyone. 

Peter next to you looks as if he's about to explode in anger, his face red and contorted in pain. 

"Stop it! It's bothering him, stop it!" Peter shouts. 

Fury, startled, stops. Ned and Peter look extremely disturbed. Professor Fury picks up the spider,   
which is still making noises in pain.

"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable  
curse Mr. Parker." 

He shakes his head, tears at the corners of his eyes.

Professor Fury casts a spell and the spider disintegrates.

"The killing curse. Only one person is known to have survived it. And she's sitting in this room." 

Your Professor approaches your desk and takes a drink out of his flask, you look on in disgust.  
_

"There's a reason those curses are unforgivable,  
and to perform them in a classroom." Peter says.

"Are you okay, Pete?" You ask putting your hand on his chest. He frowns.

"I- I don't know. I need to talk to Ned." He presses his lips to your cheek and walks back up the steps the the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Michelle looks at you with somewhat distain, "So is he your boyfriend now?"

You touch your cheek, the kiss lingering. 

"I don't know." 

She quickly changes the subject. "I can't believe Professor Fury taught that lesson today. Especially with Peter and Ned in the classroom." She shakes her head.

"What?" You ask. 

"You don't know?" She questions.

"Don't know what?" 

"Haven't you ever wondered why Peter lives with his aunt and uncle? Why Ned never mentions his father?" 

"I just...well I just supposed it was none of my business." You shrug. 

"Around the same time your parents died, so did Peter's parents and Ned's wizard father. They were tortured to death by Proxima Midnight. I wouldn't have found out if hadn't done research on Peter's family. You know he's pureblood? Isn't that-" 

You look at her angrily. Not obsessed just observant my ass. 

"What? I was just curious. I didn't think that I'd find anything like that." She says defensively.

"I would've rather heard this from him, Michelle. I wanted him to tell me." You huff. 

"Well I suppose it's a little late for that now."   
_

In the Great Hall, older students are placing their names into the flame and others are applauding, Katherine Pryde is one of them. Miles Morales on the other side of the hall spots you and waves, you wave back and smile. 

"Eternal glory, I'd be amazing wouldn't it? In three years from now we'll be old enough to be choosen." Peter says, eyes transfixed on the goblet for the past five minutes.

"Yeah well rather you than me." You grin. 

The twins come up cheering holding vials of a silvery liquid. 

"Thank you thank you, well lads...we've done it." Wanda says.

"Cooked it up just this morning." Pietro smiles.

"It's not going to work." Michelle says flatly.

"Oh yeah? And why's that Jones?" Pietro says.

"You see this?" She points to a shimmering circle surrounding the goblet, "This is an age line. Strange  
drew it himself."

"So?" Wanda shrugs.

"So, a genius like Strange couldn't possibly be fooled by something as pathetically dimwitted such as an age potion" 

"That's why it's so brilliant. It's so pathetically dimwitted." Pietro grins.

"Ready Pietro?" Wanda nods.

"Ready Wanda?" 

The down the vials in one gulp and jump inside the age line, and pause, nothing happens and they cheer. 

They proceed to put their names in the flame and do a high-five. The flame crackles loudly and fires up, and suddenly they're flung across the room onto the wall and then floor. 

When they get up from the floor they have full heads of long grey hair and creased and wrinkled faces.

"You said.." Pietro begins.

"Pietro- argh, you said.." Wanda growls.

They roll around fighting on the floor and the crowd cheers. 

The room suddenly becomes dead silent as Thor walks in and puts his name in the flame. He looks at Michelle and she slightly smiles. You on the other hand raise your eyebrows in slight shock.


	25. The Four Champions

It's a dark mysterious night and finally, Thursday has arrived. You sit in awe waiting for Strange to speak.

"Sit down please. And now the moment you've all been waiting for, the champions selection!" 

Strange approaches the blue flame and it glows red. A name comes out. Everyone looks on anxiously.

"The Bifröst champion is...Thor O'deansin!" 

The Bifröst crowd cheers. Another name comes out.

"The champion from Red Room Academy, Mystique Darkhölme!" 

A girl you'd never seen before stands up, she's beautiful, she has flaming red hair and a mysterious smirk. 

The Red Room girls cheer as Mysique walks up. Another name comes out.

"The Midgards champion...Katherine Pryde!" 

The Midgards pupils, and yourself, cheer as Katherine takes the stage.

"Excellent! we now have our three champions! But in the end only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, this vessel of  
victory the Tri-Wizard Cup!"

People cheer, but the goblet goes berserk and starts glows red once more and another piece of paper flies out. Strange looks at it curiously, then takes it and reads.

"Excuse me... _____ Marvel. _____ Marvel?

"No... No." Peter mutters .

"_____ Marvel!" Strange demands.

"Go on _____. _____ for goodness sake, go." Michelle pushes.

You slowly walk up. Strange gives you the paper.   
Sure enough, it reads your name. But there's no way. 

You couldn't have.

Voices in the crowd begin to shout out. They boo.

"She's a cheat! She's not even seventeen yet!"   
_

You're lead into a room with the other champions. They glare at you nastily. Your heart thumps in your chest. None of this made sense. 

Strange bursts in and seizes you by the shoulders.

"_____! Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" He yells.

"No sir." You answer quickly.

"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?" 

"No sir. Never." 

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Yes sir. Honestly." 

"Well of course, she is lying." Natasha Romanoff says sharply.

"The hell she is. The Goblet of Fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object, only an exceptionally powerful conjurer could have hoodwinked it. Magic way beyond the talents of a fourth year." Nick Fury laughs.

"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought Mad-eye." Surtur says.

"It was once my job to think as dark wizards do Surtur, perhaps you remember? But if you want to stay ahead of me, you need to keep both eyes open." Nick says lifting his eye patch. 

"That doesn't help Nick. We'll leave this to you Zebediah." Strange says.

"The rules are absolute, the Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Ms. Marvel has no choice, she is as of tonight...a Tri-Wizard Champion."   
_

It's late. You sit in the common room with Peter, everyone else had gone to bed. It's silent, you wish today would've never happened.

"I have to ask. How did you do it?" Peter asks.

You stay silent.

"Never mind. Doesn't matter. You could have let your best friend know though." He says angrily.

"Let you know what?" You say nonchalantly.

"You know very well what." He scoffs.

"Listen, I didn't ask for this to happen Peter.  
Okay? You're being... I dunno, stupid." You shrug. 

"Yeah that's me, Peter Parker..._____ Marvels stupid friend." He mutters.

"Let's get something straight, I didn't put my name in that cup. I don't WANT eternal glory I just- I just wanna be...look, I don't know what happened tonight and I don't know why, it just did, okay? I don't want this to make anything between us change." 

"Just...Leave" 

Your face falls and you slump off to bed.   
_

A woman appears in a puff of smoke. She's well groomed and dressed in a purple outfit. A quill hovers near her head. 

"What a charismatic quartet. Hello!" She says.

All four of the tri-wizard champions are stood together in a group. She walks over to everyone and shakes each of your hands.

"I'm Jessica Jones, I write for the daily prophet. But of course you know that don't you. It's you we don't know, you're the news. What quirks lurk beneath those rosy cheeks?" She pats Mystique's face. 

"What mysteries do the muscles mask?" She squeezes Thor's arm. 

"Does courage lie beneath those curls?" She tugs Katherines hair.

"In short, what makes a champion tick. Me, myself and I want to know. Not to mention my rabid readers. So, who's feeling up to sharing? Mmm? Shall we start with the youngest? Lovely."

She plucks your from the group and drags you into a broom cupboard.

"This is cozy." She nods.

"Uh, It's a broomcupboard." You say dumbfounded.

"You should feel right at home then. Don't mind if I use a quick-notes quill do you?"

"Oh, no." You shake your head.

"So _____, here you sit, a mere girl of twelve..." Jessica Jones says.

"I'm fourteen." You correct.

"...about to compete against three students. Not only vastly more emotionally mature than yourself but have mastered spells that you wouldn't attempt in your dizziest daydreams. Concerned?" She says, ignoring you.

"I- I dunno, I haven't really thought about it." You shrug.

"Course you're not just any ordinary girl of twelve are you..." 

"Fourteen. Actually." You correct again.

"The story's legend. Do you think it was the trauma of your past that made you so keen to enter such a dangerous tournament?" She asks.

"Uh no, I didn't enter."

"Course you didn't." She winks. "Everyone loves a  
rebel _____."

She turns to the quill, "Scratch that last, now speaking of your parents, were they alive, how do you think they'd feel? Proud? Or concerned that your  
attitude shows at best a pathological need for attention, at worst a psychotic deathwish." She nods sympathetically.

You look at her notepad, "Hey, my eyes aren't glistening with the ghosts of my past." You say sternly.  
_

A strange owl flies in with a letter for your, you snatch it and begin to read. It was from Tony.

"I couldn't risk sending Hedwig. Since the world cup and the ministry's been intercepting more and more owls and she's too easily recognised. We need to talk. Face to face. Meet me in the Gryffindor common room at one o'clock this Saturday night and make sure you're alone."   
_

You pick up a newspaper, the headline says "THE CHAMPIONS ARE SELECTED" and start to read.

"_____ Marvel, aged 12, suspect entrant in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Her eyes swimming with the ghosts of her-" 

You roll your eyes and crumple up the newspaper and toss it in the fire. The fire flares up a little, and a face appears in it.

"Tony?! How..." you say in awe.

"I don't have much time, so let me get straight to it. Did you or did you not put your name into the Goblet of Fire?" He says.

"No!" You say loudly. 

"Shh... I had to ask. Now, tell me about this dream of yours. You mentioned Neb and Thanos, but who was the other man in the room?" He asks.

"I dunno."

"You didn't hear a name?" 

"No. Umm...Thanos was giving him a job to do. Something important." You nod.

"What was that?" 

"He wanted... me? I dunno why, but he was gonna use this man to get to me. I mean it was only a dream right?" You laugh nervously.

"Yes. It's just a dream. Look, the death-eaters at the world cup, your name rising from that goblet these are not just coincidences. Midgards isn't safe any more." Tony sighs.

"What are you saying?" You ask.

"I'm saying the devils are inside the walls. Surtur, he was a death-eater. And no one, no one stops being a death-eater. Then there's Zebediah Killgrave, heart of stone, sent his own son to Azkaban." 

"Do you think one of them put my name in the goblet?" 

"I haven't a clue who put your name in that goblet but whoever did it is no friend to you. People die in this tournament." 

"I'm not ready for this Tony." You plead.

"You don't have a choice." 

"Someone's coming!" You tell him.

"Keep your friends close, _____." His face disappears.

Peter enters the room.

"Who were you talking to?" He asks. 

"Who says I was talking to anyone." You say quickly.

"I heard voices."

"Maybe you're imagining things, wouldn't be the first time." You say harshly.

"You're probably just practicing for your next interview I expect." He retorts.

Peter leaves. You turn to the fire again but Tony is gone.  
_

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing." Ned says.

"Ned! You're doing it again."

"Oh, right sorry." He nods. 

You look at the cover of the book he's reading, "Magical water plants of the highland Lochs?"

"Professor Fury gave it to me. That day we had  
tea."

You nod, and continue skipping stones across the lake.

Out of the corner of your eye your see Ned wave at someone. You turn, Michelle and Peter are walking up to the both of you.

Peter whispers something in Michelle's ear and she says, "We've already been through enough people why don't you just go and do it yourself? Ughh. What  
do you want me to say again?"

Peter whispers some words to Michelle. It's clear as day you and Peter are not on speaking terms.

Michelle walks up to you.

"Peter would like me to tell you that Remy told him that Luke was told by Hope that Bruce was looking for you." She says.

"Is that right? Well...wait- what?" You ask.

"Uhhh..." 

She walks back to Peter for more whispering and comes back.

"Luke was told by Hope that... Please don't ask me say it again. Bruce's looking for you." 

"Well you can tell Peter-" you begin.

"I'm NOT an owl!" She shouts.  
_  
You and Bruce are walking through the Forbidden Forest.

"Did you bring your mother's cloak like I asked you?" 

"Yeah I brought the cloak. Bruce where are we going?" You ask.

"You'll see soon enough. Pay attention this is important." He nods.

You squint at him in the dark, " Hey, what's with the flower? And...Bruce have- have you combed your hair?" 

Bruce is looking much more dapper than usual and is carrying a big red flower.

"As a matter of fact I have. You might like to try the same thing every now and again." He says.

You touch your hair, it didn't look that bad...did it?

Someone in the distance calls out to Bruce.

"Oh, the cloak. Put the cloak on." Bruce says. 

You do as your told.

"Good evening Natasha." Bruce smiles. 

"Oh Bruce. I thought you weren't coming, I thought perhaps... you had...forgotten me." She says sadly.

"I couldn't forget you Nat." He smiles.

You make a disgusted face. 

"What is it you want to show me? When we spoke earlier you sounded so exhilirated." She smiles.

"You'll be glad you came. Trust me."

You, Bruce and Natasha approach a clearing in the forest, that's when you see them, Dragons! The one nearest to you gives a loud roar.

"Ahh, this is magnificent!" Natasha says.

In an opening you see people are running about, dragons are roaring and breathing fire. You can feel the heat from a hundred feet away.

"Dragons? That's the first task? You're joking." You gasp.

"Come on _____. They're seriously misunderstood  
creatures." Bruce says. 

A huge flame fires up.

"Although, I have to admit that horntail is a nasty piece of work. Poor Peter nearly fainted just seeing him you know." Bruce laughs.

"Wait- Peter was here?" You ask.

"Oh sure. His Uncle Ben helped bring them over from Romania. Didn't Peter tell you that?"

"No he didn't. He didn't tell me a thing."  
_

The badges, your most recent tormentor, depicted Katherine on a bright yellow background. Then the badge spins and shows you on a green background  
with the words " Marvel Stinks" on it. 

As you walk along to the courtyard, other students hurl insults at you. A first year boy runs past you.

"Kitty rules!" He laughs.

"Thanks." You say sarcastically.

You get to the threshold of the courtyard, and two student stand in your way.

"Like the badge?" One of them asks, shoving one into your face. 

"Excuse me..." You ask.

They laugh, and you push your way through. You approach Katherine Pryde who is standing around with her friends. Kitty's friends hurl off more insults as you pass. 

"Excuse me, can I have a word?" You ask her.

"Alright." She says.

You walk away some distance.

"Dragons. That's the first task. They've got one for each of us." You whisper.

"Are you serious? And Mystique and Thor, do they...?" 

You nod.

"Right. Uh- hey listen, about the badges. I've asked them not to wear them." She says.

"Don't worry about it." You shrug.

You spot Peter and Remy out of the corner of your eye, they're walking along the edge of the courtyard. You excuse yourself and approach them.

"Peter, you're a right foul git you know that?"

"You think so?" He says.

"I know so." You furiously.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. Stay away from me." 

He looks genuinely hurt by this, but says nothing. You push past him and stomp away. 

Someone calls out to you. You turn, it's Liz and for some reason, she's sitting up a tree.

"Why so tense Marvel? My father and I have a bet you see. I don't think you're gonna last ten minutes in this tournament. He disagrees. He thinks you won't last FIVE." She laughs.

You pause and turn to her, barely containing your anger, "I don't give a damn what you or your father thinks Liz. He's vile and cruel, and you're just pathetic."

You walk away, but suddenly you hear Liz scream loudly. You turn and see Nick Fury had turned Liz into a ferret and was now dangling her about, laughing. 

"That'll teach you to curse someone when their back is turned." Fury smiles.

You laugh for the first time in days. 

"Professor Fury what are you doing?" Professor T'Challa asks.

"Teaching." He responds.

"Wait...is- is that a student?" 

"Technically it's a ferret." 

Fury is making the ferret hover around. He sends it up the trouser leg of Flash Thompson. Flash screams and squirms, looking extremely uncomfortable. 

Everyone else is laughing. Fury winks to you and he laughs. Eventually the ferret comes back out of Flashes trousers and Professor T'Challa transfigures Liz back to normal.

"My father will hear about this!" Liz shrieks.

"We never use transfigration as a punishment,  
surely Strange told you that." T'Challa says.

"He might've mentioned it." Fury says quietly. 

"Well you will do well to remember it." T'Challa shakes his head in disbelief. 

Fury nods then turns to you, "Come with me."  
_

Fury takes off his jacket and takes a seat in his office.

He points to a large mirror on behind him, "That's a foe glass. Lets me keep an eye on my enemies. If I can see the whites of their eyes they're standing  
right behind me." 

A noise emerges from a trunk on the floor and it shakes violently.

"Wouldn't even bother telling you what's in there. You wouldn't believe it if I did. Now...what are you going to do about your dragon?" 

"Oh... um...You know I just thought I'd..." you think. 

"Sit. Listen to me Marvel. Your pal Kitty, by your age she could turn a whistle into a watch and have it sing to you all at the same time. Mystique, well she's as much a fairy princess as I am. As for Thor, his head may be filled with sawdust but Surtur's is NOT. They'll have a strategy, and you can bet that it'll play to Thor's strengths. Hmm? Come on Marvel. What are your strengths?" 

"Um... I dunno...I can fly. I mean I'm a fair flyer." You nod.

"Better than fair the way I heard it."

"But I'm not allowed a broom." You frown.

"You're allowed a wand."   
_

You're pacing nervously inside the waiting tent.

"Pssst! _____ Marvel? Is that you?" A voice asks from the other side of the tent.

"Uh, yeah. Who is it?" You ask.

"It's Miles- Miles Morales. I just wanted to wish you good luck. Uh, how are you feeling? The key with these things is to concentrate. After that you just have to..."

"Battle a dragon." 

Miles enters the tent and the two of you give a brief, mostly friendly hug. He could tell you needed it. A bright camera flashes, and Jessica Jones the journalist approaches.

"Young love! Ohh how...stirring. If everything goes unfortunately today you might make the front page." She smiles.

You and Miles both blush furiously.

"You have no business here. This tent is for champions and friends." Thor says to Jessica.

"No matter. We've got what we wanted." She says sourly. 

Jessica leaves the tent and Strange enters.

"Good day champions. Gather round please. Now you've waited, you've wondered and at last the moment has arrived. The moment only the four of you can fully appreciate."

The champions gather around him in a circle.

"Now- What are you doing here Mr. Morales?" Strange asks, turning to Miles. 

"Oh um...Sorry I'll just go." He waves to you. 

"Zebediah. The bag." Strange says. 

"Champions, in a circle around me. Ms. Katherine over here, Mr. Thor, and Ms. Marvel over here. Right. Ms. Mystique, if you will..." 

Zebediah holds up a bag. Mystique plucks out a little green dragon.

"The Welsh Green. Now, Mr. Thor..." 

Thor takes another out. 

"The Chinese Fireball. Oooooh."

Kitty picks one.

"The Swedish Short-Snout. Which leaves..."

"The Horntail..." You mutter.

"What's that girl?" Zebediah asks.

"Nothing." You say quickly.

You put your hand in the bag and pull out the last dragon.

"The Hungarian Horntail. These represent very real dragons, each of which has been given a golden egg to protect. Your objective is simple, collect the  
egg. This you must do, for each egg contains a clue without which you cannot hope to proceed to the next task. Any questions?" Zebediah asks.

"Very well. Good luck champions. Going first, Ms. Katherine, proceed at the sound of the cannon..." 

The cannon fires immediately.  
_

You're the last champion to go, and you sit alone nervously.

Strange's voice sounds over the loudspeaker, "Three of our champions have now faced their dragons  
and so each one of them will proceed to the next task. And now our fourth and final contestant." 

You enter the rocky arena. The crowd is cheering your name. You see the golden egg sitting alone, and make a run for it but the dragon appears. Your forced to retreat behind a rock as the dragon flames you. You stumble and fall around the arena.

"Your wand _____! Your wand!" Michelle shouts. 

"Accio Stormbreaker!" You shout. 

You summon your broom. You jump on it and fly off, flying at high speed around the Midgards buildings, trying to come up with a plan. 

Suddenly, the dragon cuts you off and whips you off your broom, you land on the roof of Midgards, hanging on for dear life. The dragon is clambering across the roof, trying to attack you, strewing tiles as it goes. 

You reach your broom but it's stuck. You jerk it loose and let go of the roof just in time before the dragon swipes at you. You fall a long way but regain control. 

You fly to the bridge, and go through a small gap, the dragon tries to follow but crashes into the bridge and falls down into the water.

You fly straight for the arena and scoop up the golden egg, everyone cheers. You did it, you completed the first task.   
_

You are lifting the golden egg in the air, and fellow Gryffindors surround you, all cheering. You don't think the common room had ever been more exited. 

Wanda and Pietro approach you, "We knew you wouldn't die _____." Wanda says.

"Or lose a leg." Pietro says.

"Or an arm." Wanda adds.

"Or both." 

"NEVER!" They say in unison. 

"Go on _____, what's the clue?" Remy asks.

He hands you the golden egg.

"Who wants me to open it? You want me to open it?" You ask the crowd, they cheer in response. 

You open the egg and a loud horrific screech comes out, you quickly close it again.

"What the hell was that?" You ask. 

Then, Peter appears in the doorway.

"Uh, Alright everyone, go back to your knitting. This is gonna be uncomfortable enough without all you nosey idiots listening in." Wanda says pushing everyone upstairs. Your face turns red. 

Everything is dark and quiet in the now empty common room. 

Peter half-smiles then turns to you, "I think you'd have to be mad to put your own name in the Goblet of Fire."

"Caught on have you. Took you long enough." You smile.

"Wasn't just me who thought you'd done it. Everyone was saying it behind your back." He says quietly.

"Brilliant. That makes me feel loads better." You scoff.

"I'm really sorry, for what it's worth at least I warned you about the dragons." 

"Uh, Bruce warned me about the dragons." 

"Oh no no, I did. Don't you remember? I told Michelle to tell you that Remy told me that Hope told Luke that Bruce was looking for you. Remy never actually told me anything, so it was really me all along. I thought you'd be alright, you know, after you figured that out." 

"Who could possibly figure that out? That's completely insane." 

"Yeah it is, isn't it? Suppose I was a bit distraught. I'm sorry about everything. I meant it. I trust you, I just...was being stupid, like you said. I really missed you, us, whatever you wanna call this." 

"Yeah I know."

You both lean in for a kiss.


	26. Finding a Date

Your arm is in a sling and you have a couple scratches on your face after the first task, but you're feeling alright. 

It's breakfast and you sit at the front of the Gryffindor table chatting to Miles Morales who sits next to you at the Ravenclaw table. 

You notice Peter is looking at you intently. You look down at him from the front of the table and he spills drink from his mouth and waves you over. You wave goodbye to Miles and plop down next to Peter, and Michelle and Ned sit in front of you eating a piece of toast.

A young boy walks up holding a package in front of Peter. 

"Parcel for you Mr. Parker." He says.

"Thanks man." Peter nods. 

The boy is gazing at you.

"Uh, not now. Later. Go on." Peter shoos.

"What was that all about?" You ask.

"I told him I'd get him your autograph if he brought me my mail." He looks at the tag on the package, "Oh look, May sent me something."

He cracks open the package, inside is a hideous maroon and orange robe with a lacy collar and matching velvet tights. 

"May sent me a...dress??" He asks. 

"Well it does match your eyes. Is there a bonnet?" You laugh, pulling the ruffly collar out of the box.

"Ah ha!" You place it on his head. 

"Put it down _____." He says, smiling in mock annoyance. 

He walks over to Penni Parker and holds it up for her, "Penni these must be for you."

She looks at him in horror, "I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly." 

Michelle laughs.

"What are you laughing about?" Peter asks, dumbfounded.

"They're not for Penni they're for you!" The whole Gryffindor table laughs. "They're dress robes." 

"Dress robes? for what?"   
_

Mr. Lee fusses with a ginormous gramophone sat on a table where his cat, Goose relaxes quietly.

Professor T'Challa, head of Gryffindor house stands before everyone preparing to give an announcement to the whole house.

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Tri-Wizard Tournament since it was created. On Christmas Eve night we and our guests gather in the great hall for a night of well-mannered fun. As representatives of school I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this very literally because the yule ball is simply...a dance." 

Groans emerge from the boys who are listening on, one side of the room, the girls however seem a lot more excited and begin chattering happily.

"Silence." T'Challa commands, "The house of Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for almost ten centuries. I will not have you in the course of a single evening destroy that name by behaving like a- a babbling, bumbling band of baboons." 

"Try saying that five times fast." Wanda whispers to you. 

"They try." You shush. 

"You're no fun." She groans.

"To dance is to let the body breathe. Now, Mr. Parker if will you join- ah, Ms. Marvel on the dance floor please." T'Challa nods.

"What?" You both say in unison, your faces turning bright red.

T'Challa grabs Peter and pulls him up to dance, you walk up to him nervously.

"Now, place your right hand on her waist." T'Challa says. 

"Uh, W-Where?" Peter asks.

"Her waist." T'Challa nods.

He does so and a wolf whistle comes from the crowd. You shoot glare at the everyone.

"Now bend your arm. Mr Lee, if you will." Lee places the needle on the gramophone and a tune starts playing.

"One two three, one two three, one two three. Now, everybody come together."

Everyone stands, finds someone, and begins to waltz, only a few people stand on the outskirts. 

Pietro and Wanda Maximoff waltz past you and Peter with their respective partners.

"Hey! You're never gonna let us forget this are you?" You ask.

"Never." They respond in unison.   
_

"Why do boys always have to travel in packs? How are you supposed to get one alone so they can ask you..." 

"Well..._____, you slayed a dragon. If you can't get a date who can?" Michelle asks. 

"I think I'd take the dragon right now." You groan.

"Besides, aren't you going with Peter?" Michelle asks.

"That's just the thing, he hasn't ask me. I'm not going to ask him to the ball that's- that's just." 

"Okay, I understand that's a bit pathetic. I'm sure he'll ask you soon enough." 

_

"This is insane. At this rate we'll be the only ones in our year without dates." You say. 

"Actually, someone's already asked me." 

"Dear god." You groan. 

Professor Laufeyson walks past and slaps you over the head with a book.

"Look. You've just got to grit your teeth and ask him out. Tonight when you get back to the common room, you'll have a partner. Agreed?" She asks.

"Agreed." You nod.  
_

The dance was tomorrow night and Peter was yet again no where to be seen, how were you supposed to ask him if you couldn't find him. 

You're walking up some steps to the owlery to give Hedwig a treat for Christmas. You reach the top and bumps into Miles Morales who had come around the corner.

"_____!" He says.

"Miles!" You say in surprise, "Uh, watch yourself on the stairs, it's a bit icey at the bottom." 

"Ok thanks. Uh, _____?" He asks.

"Yes?" 

"Um. I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go to the ball with me?"

"Really? Wow, uh. Yes. Okay. Great- I'll um, see you tomorrow night?" You nod.

"Yes, that sounds awesome. Bye." He waves trotting down the stairs. 

Thank goodness you finally had a date, but why did you feel so bad?   
_

You sit in the library, reading silently for your potions homework. Suddenly and hand comes by and touches your shoulder. 

Your head turns around quickly, it was Peter. 

"Hey, I'm sorry about the whole not being around lately thing, it wasn't cool especially because...I like you." He mutters quietly, "I gotta get to class, but I think we should hang out- but uh, Yule Ball? Do- Do you wanna go with me?"

"Oh, um. Peter, I'm sorry but... someone's already asked me. And well I've said- I've said I'll go with him." You respond quietly.

"Ok. Great. Fine. No problem. Good. I'll- I will see you in Transfiguration. Uh, bye." He waves solemnly.

You stand up and grab his shoulder gently before he leaves, "Peter, I really am sorry."


	27. Yule Ball

"I don't look bad, do I?" You ask, fidgeting with your dress.

"You look lovely _____." Michelle says. 

You spin momentarily in the mirror.

"Move it." Valkyrie laughs, adjusting her blue cloak over her dress. 

"You clean up nicely." Shuri tells her. "______, Michelle you should get down-stairs, the ball starts soon."

"Aw, I forgot." You bunch up your dress and walk downstairs out the common room. 

As you make your way towards the Great Hall, Michelle points to someone in the crowd, "There's my date." 

You glance around but you can't see anyone who looks like they spend most of their time studying or in the library, the only kind of person Michelle could possibly date. 

"Who?" You ask.

"Well, Thor of course." 

"Thor?!" You say in amazement. "Michelle I'm...really proud." 

She laughs, "You told me you got a date, but you never said who and I don't see Peter anywhere in sight." 

"Oh...I'm going with-" 

"Hey." Miles says, putting his hand on your shoulder. 

"Hello Miles. Don't you look dashing." You smile. 

"Here you are Marvel." T'Challa says, approaching you. "Are you and Mr. Morales ready?"

"Ready professor?"

"To dance. It's traditional that the three champions or in this case four are the first to dance. Surely I told you that."

"Uh, No." You shake your head.

"Oh...well now you know." 

That's when you see him, Peter. He enters the room in a set of brand new dress robes, replacing his ugly hand-me-down set. He looks beautiful. You barely notice the girl on his arm. 

"She looks beautiful." Miles says breathlessly.

"Yeah he does." You nod

Michelle approaches you in awe, "Is that Peter? With  
Gwen Stacy??" 

That's when It hits you. Peter was going to the ball with one of the most popular girls in your year, and they looked great together. 

"No. Absolutely not." You sputter in disbelief. 

T'Challa grabs you and Miles' shoulder and lines you up behind the other champions. Loud music plays and everyone walks down a isle past all the other students, who are clapping and cheering, and head to the dance-floor with their partners.

The conductor starts the orchestra and Miles places a hand on your waste and begins to waltz you across they room, it was a bit fun, but it wasn't like it was with Peter, you didn't lose yourself. 

Soon others are joining in, Mr. Lee and Goose, Bruce and Madam Natasha. Professor Fury sits on the sidelines drinking. You and Miles continue to dance. 

Then the music changes and the popular wizard band the Weird Sisters gets up on stage and begin pumping out a rocky tune.  
_

The crowd is jumping. You're enjoying yourself and your forget about Peter for a bit. 

"Want to go get drinks at the Three Broomsticks? That's where's everyone's heading." Miles asks. 

"A cold butter-beer, or even hot one even sounds absolutely amazing right now." You smile. 

Turning your head to the tables, Peter, Ned and their dates are sitting some distance away looking miserable. 

Michelle and Thor are dancing a couple of feet from you and Miles, and you walk over and invite them over for drinks. They agree, and you walk over to invite Peter and Ned. 

"Hot isn't it?" you laugh. "Everyone's going to get drinks, care to join us?" 

"No, we'd NOT care to join you and Miles." Peter says surly. 

"Actually, I would." Gwen Stacy says, you smile apprehensively at her and she stands next to Miles. 

"Me too." Ned says. 

"You guys can go, I'll meet you there." You tell the group, they leave, then you turn to Peter. 

"What's got your wand in a knot?" You say sourly. 

"He's a Ravenclaw. You're fraternizing with the enemy." He says. 

"The enemy?? The whole point of the tournament  
is magical cooperation, to make friends." 

"I think he's got a bit more than friendship on his mind. He's not good enough for you." 

"Oh and you are?"

"I-I never said that. I meant that you- you played with my feelings, I thought we were friends. I thought we were more." 

"What? What? That's what you think?" You say furiously.

"Yeah, that is what I think." He nods.

"You know the solution then don't you. Next time there's a ball pluck up the courage and ask me before somebody else does!" You yell furiously, then storm off.  
_

You're back in the old house. It's the same nightmare, you're still not able to see Thanos, but you can see Nebula standing in front of him. 

It ends with a flash of green light, the killing curse, and you shoot awake.

The floorboards are creaking, someone is walking  
up to your bed. They move the curtain. It's Michelle.

"You alright _____? I just got in. You never came for drinks, not to upset you, but I think Miles and Gwen were making out when I left." She says.

"Oh...yeah, I'm- I'm okay. I'm...glad you enjoyed yourself." You smile at each other and she closes the curtain and walks to her bed.  
_

"_____ you told me you'd figured the egg out weeks ago. The task is two days from now." Michelle says irritably.

"Really? I had no idea." You say sarcastically. "I suppose Thor's already figured it out." 

"I wouldn't know, we didn't actually talk any about the tournament last night. Actually we didn't really talk at all, Thor's more of a physical being."

You give her a suggestive look.

"I just mean he's not particularly...uh, loquacious. Mostly he watches me study. It's a bit annoying actually. You are trying to figure this egg out  
aren't you?" 

"What's that supposed to mean?" You say defensively.

"I mean these tasks are supposed to test you, in the most brutal way they're almost cruel. And um, I'm scared for you. You got by the dragon mostly on  
nerve, I'm not sure it's going to be enough this time." She says tensely.

"Hey Marvel." Someone calls, you glance to the side, it's Katherine Pryde better known as Kitty.

"Katherine." You nod.

"How are you?" She asks.

"Spectacular." You say sarcastically.

"Look I realise I never really thanked you properly for tipping me off about those dragons."

"Forget about it. I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

"Exactly. You know the prefects bathroom on the fifth floor?"

You nod.

"It's not a bad place for a bath. Just take your egg and...mull things over in the hot water." 

She walks away, and you turn to Michelle.

"What did any of that mean?"  
_

You take your clothes off and step into the bath, then place your golden egg to the side of the ginormous tub.

"I must be out of my mind." You mutter to yourself.

You open the egg and the horrible screech noise comes out.

"I'd try putting it in the water if I were you." A voice says.

"Ava!" You say in surprise.

"Long time no see." 

The ghostly figure of Ava Starr flies around the bathroom.

"I was circling a blocked drain the other day and could swear I saw a bit of polyjuice potion. Not being a bad girl with your friends again are you _____?" She asks.

"Polyjuice potion? No, Kicked the habit. Ava, did you say try putting it in the water?" 

She flies around again and gets in the water.

"Well. That's what she did. The other girl, the pretty one, Kitty."

You take the egg and put it under the water.

"Well go on, open it." She says.

You do so and go underwater yourself. Your ears are filled with a heavenly voice singing a song. 

"Come seek us where our voices sound.  
We cannot sing above the ground.  
An hour long you'll have to look,  
to recover what we took."

"Ava, there aren't Merpeople in the Black Lake are there?" You say, astonished.

"Ahhh, very good. Took Kitty ages to riddle it out. Almost all the bubbles were gone..."

Ava laughs and you are very embarrassed.  
_

"Tell me again."

"Please don't make me." 

"Do you want to get through this task or not?" Michelle says sharply.

You sigh and put your head on the desk, "Come seek us where our voices sound."

"The black lake, that's very obvious." Michelle says plucking a book from one of the shelves. 

"An hour long you'll have to look." 

"Again obvious, though I must admit potentially  
problematic." 

"Potentially problematic? When was the last time you held your breath under the water for an hour Michelle?" You say irritably.

"Look _____, we can do this. The three of us can figure it out." Michelle nods.

You and Peter share a look and groan. 

You hear footsteps and Nick Fury appears by the library desk you and your friends are occupying.

"Hate to break up this scholarly session but Professor T'Challa would like to see you in his office. Not you Marvel, just Parker and Jones." 

"But sir, the second task is only hours away and..." Peter trails off.

"Exactly. Presumably Marvel is well prepared by now and could do with a good night's sleep. Go Now." 

Peter waves and him and Michelle walk off, "Leeds!" Professor Fury calls.

Ned appears from behind a bookcase.

"Why don't you help Marvel put her books back."

Fury walks away and Ned walks over and begins taking stacks of books and placing them on a cart. The books float up and find their places. 

Ned gazes at the cover of a book Michelle had pulled from the shelf, "You know, if you're interested in plants you'd be better with Gorshok's Guide to Herbology. Do you know there's a wizard in Nepal whose growing gravity resistant trees?" 

You lift your head from the desk, "Ned. No offense, but I really don't care about plants. Now if there's a  
Tibetan turnip that will allow me to breathe underwater for an hour then great." You say sarcastically. 

He thinks for a moment, "I don't know about a turnip but you can always use gilliweed."  
_

The twins are shouting, busy taking bets, annoying you a bit. Your walking to the lake with Ned as he clutches some gilliweed in his hand. You fuss with your swim suit and your jacket covering it. 

"So, you're sure about this Ned?" You ask.

"Absolutely." He nods.

"It will last for an hour?" 

"Most likely." 

You stop dead in your tracks, "Most likely?"

"Well there is some debate among herbologists with its effects in freshwater versus saltwater." 

"You're telling me this now? You have to be joking." You groan.

"I just wanted to help." He says defensively.

"Well that makes you a slight bit better than Peter and Michelle. Where are they anyway?" 

"You seem a little tense _____." 

"Do I?" You shoot back.  
_

Strange's voice sounds over a loudspeaker, "Welcome to the second task. Last night something was stolen from each of our champions. A kind of treasure. These four treasures, one for each champion, now lie on the bottom of the black lake. In order to win each champion need only find their  
treasure and return to the surface. Simple enough. Except for this, they will have one hour and one hour only. After that they'll be on their own."

You stand by the edge of the lakes glassy surface waiting for the canons to fire. You hold the slimly gilliweed in your palm, not entirely sure what to  
do.

"Put it your mouth." Ned whispers.

You put the gilliweed in your mouth and start  
choking, it was clinging your your throat, changing you. You could feel webs growing between your toes, your throat burning with every breath. 

The cannon fires and the other champions enter the water, you feel a firm hand push you in the water. You land with a splash. Underwater the effects of  
gilliweed take hold, your hands and feet become completely webbed, your neck has frilly gills, and you can see underwater perfectly. 

You swim among the fish and rocks. And in the distance dinging voices start to echo. You search around to find the source and hear muffled screams. You glance around but you don't see anyone. 

Following the voices you find Peter, Michelle, and two boys you don't recognize tied in place by their ankles. They hang in the water, asleep. 

Kitty appears is there, she takes one of the boys with her and floats to the surface. You quickly realize that they were the boys that Mystique and Kitty had gone to the ball with. 

You set about freeing Peter and Michelle but vicious merpeople appear. They point deadly tridents at your neck.

"Only one!" They hiss.

"But she's my friend too!" You say.

You turn around, what looks like a shark approaches at high speed, but it has legs. It must be Thor. He takes Michelle and heads for the surface. You nod and quickly free Peter. Looking at his face scared you, he looked dead. 

Wrapping your arm around Peter you prepare to go to the surface, when you notice boy that Mystique was supposed to rescue. If he didn't get saved...would he die? 

You swim over and loosen her rope too and start heading for the surface with the both of them. Suddenly the merpeople attack you and push you down towards the bottom of the lake. 

You had to make sure Peter and the other boy survive, you use all your strength and push them towards the surface. You can feel the effects of the gilliweed wearing off.

You tug your wand out of your swimsuit, with all the power you can muster, you cast a spell.

"Ascendio!" It propels you toward the surface, you  
fly out of the water and land on the decking where the crowd is.

"_____!" Strange shouts. "I want all the judges over here now."

Mystique approaches you, "You saved him, even though he wasn't yours to save." 

She kisses you on the cheek.

"Thank you! And you..." She turns to Peter , "You helped!" 

"Well... yeah...a bit." He says.

She kisses him too. He goes red, and you do too.

Before you have a chance you collect yourself, Peter crawls over and gives you a kiss square on the lips. It's cold and wet, but at least it meant he still liked you. 

"Are you alright? You must be freezing! I personally think you did amazing." He kisses you on the head. 

"I finished last Peter." You shiver. 

"Next to last, actually." 

"Attention! The winner is, Ms. Pryde!"  
Strange announces. 

Kitty and her friends cheer.

"The way I see it, Ms. Marvel would have finished first had it not been for her determination to rescue not only Mr. Parker but the others as well. We've agreed to award her second place! For outstanding moral fibre." Strange says.  
_

As your walking away from the lake, your friends are cheering for you.

"All that moral fibre eh?" Wanda laughs.

"Even when you go wrong it turns out right." Peter says slinging his arm around you. 

"Well done 'moral fibre'." Michelle grins.

You prepare to go to Bruce's with your friends but Zebediah Killgrave is waiting for you.

"Congratulations Marvel, fine achievement. Well done girl. I'm sorry we haven't spoken, after all your story is one I've heard many times. Quite remarkable. Tragic of course, to lose one's family.  
Never whole again are we? Still, life goes on. And here we stand. I'm sure your parents would be very proud today Marvel." He smiles.

You nod meaningfully.

Nick Fury approaches you.

"Zebediah! Not trying to lure Marvel into one of the ministry's summer internships are we? Last kid who went into the department of ministries never came out." He laughs, but it seems fake. 

Zebediah looks disturbed, and walks away.


	28. The Maze

"I remember when I first met all of you. Biggest bunch of misfits I've ever seen. Always reminded me of myself a little bit. And here we all are, four years later." Bruce says cheerfully.

"We're still misfits." You grin.

"Maybe. But we've all got each other." Peter says slinging his arm around you.

"Look at _____ of course. Soon to be! The youngest! Tri-Wizard champion there's ever been!" Bruce cheers.

Bruce, Peter and Michelle all walk on singing the Midgards song. Suddenly a sharp pain cuts through your thoughts, you stop in your tracks, and hold your head in pain. You start stumbling around the forest, trying to find your friends, then you trip over something. 

You groan, get up and dust yourself off. You quickly look back to see whatever you'd tripped over. On the ground you see Zebediah Killgrave laying lifeless.  
_

You place your ear to the door of Strange's office and listen keenly to the conversation inside.

"A man has died here. And he won't be the last, you must take action."

"I will not. In times like these the wizard world looks to its leaders for strength Strange."

"Then for once show them some."

"The tri-wizard tournament will not be cancelled. I will not be seen as a coward."

"But surely that is what's right, no matter what others think."

"What did you say? What did you say to me?"

"Excuse me gentlemen, it may interest you to know that this conversation is no longer private." 

It's Nick Fury's voice, you quickly back up from the door and make it look like you were about to knock.

The door magically opens and you enter.

"_____ how good to see you again." Minister of Magic Thaddeus Ross says fakely.

"I can come back later Professor." You tell Strange.

"Oh not necessary _____. The minister and I are done. I'll be back in a moment. Minister, after you. Feel free to indulge in some licorice snaps in my absence, but I have to warn you they're a little bit sharp." He winks.

Strange leaves and you are left alone in the room. You shrug and turn to the snack-bowl a take a hand full of the candies, you pluck one out of your pile and suddenly it turns into a small creature with sharp teeth. It nips you and you drop the rest of the candies which had also turned into little creatures. 

"Agh!" You shout, stumbling backwards into one of the cabinets. 

The cabinet you slammed into opens up. You can see a blue glimmer from the inside. You peak inside, there is a dish, almost like a sink, and inside of it sits a glowing blue pool of water. You open the cabinet all the way to get a better look. 

Inside the water you can see something at the bottom of the bowl, you move closer to it, and closer until your face touches the water and suddenly you're pulled into bottom.  
_

You land in another time and place. It's a courtroom, the walls have a red glow, it's quiet, despite the many people sitting before you. You glance around, Professor Strange is seated next to you. 

"Professor?" You ask.

Strange does not respond, in fact he doesn't even seem to realize you're there.

The man seated on the other side of you greets him.

Strange and the man shake hands. Their handshake goes straight through your body, you seem to have no presence here.

The court proceedings begin, and cage is raised from inside the floor in the middle of the courtroom. A man stands inside, filthy and decrepit, someone you faintly recognize.

"Sutur, you have been brought from Azkaban at your own request to present evidence to this counsel. Should your testimony prove consequential the counsel may be prepared to order your immediate release. Until such time you remain in the eyes of the ministry a convicted Child of Thanos. Do you accept  
these terms?" Zebediah Killgrave says. He must've been the judge of this trial, he was on a small stand in front everyone. He looked bored, but clutched a gavel tightly between two white fingers.

"I do sir." Sutur says.

"What do you wish to present?"

"I have names sir. There was a Puckle, Evan Puckle."

"Mr. Puckle is dead." 

"Dead?" Sutur says in disbelief, "I didn't know."

"If that is all the witness has to offer..." Zebediah says frowning.

"No! No! There was Bailey, she was a spy."

"Elsie Bailey? Of the department of ministries." Zebediah says inquisitively.

"Yes! The same. She passed information to you-know-who from inside the ministry itself." 

"Very well. Counsel will deliberate. In the meantime you will be returned to Azkaban." Zebediah goes to pound his gavel, but Sutur interrupts. 

"NO! WAIT! PLEASE! I have more. Laufyson, Loki Laufeyson." 

Strange stands up swiftly, "The counsel is very much aware you have given evidence on this matter. Loki Laufeyson was indeed a Child of Thanos and prior  
to Thanos' downfall turned spy for us at great personal risk. Today he's no more Child of Thanos than I am."

Sutur protests loudly.

"It's a lie! Loki Laufeyson remains faithful to the mad titan." 

"Silence!" Zebediah shouts, he hits the gavel repeatedly. "Unless the witness possesses any name of genuine consequence this session is now concluded."

"Oh no. I heard about one more." Sutur cackles.

"What's that?" Zebediah asks.

"The name... I know for a fact this person took part  
in the capture, and by means of the cruciatus curse, took part in the torture of the auror Edward Leeds."

There is a deathly pause.

"The name! Give me the wretched name!" Zebediah shouts.

"The Purple Man! Zebediah Killgrave!" Everyone gasps, "...Junior." 

A man, who must've been Zebediah Killgrave Junior begins to dart for the exit. Nick Fury shoots up and zaps him with a spell, and he falls into the center of the court. The crowd is in uproar. Guards seize him.

"Get your hands off me you pathetic little men!" Zebediah jumps away and lands in front of the judges stand, "Hello father." He grins up at him.

"You are no son of mine." Zebediah Killgrave says coldly.

Zebediah Jr. screams loudly and you awake. 

You pull your face out of the blue pool of water and suddenly you're back in Strange's office. You feel a presence behind you.

"Curiosity's not a sin _____, but you should exercise caution. It's a pensieve, useful if like me you find your mind a wee bit stretched." Strange says touching the edge of the bowl. 

You'd nod, despite never having felting that way in your life.

"It allows me to see things I've already seen. You see _____ I've searched and searched for something, some small detail. Something I might have overlooked, something that would explain why these terrible things have happened. Every time I get close to an answer it slips away, it's maddedning." Strange takes off his red cloak and it floats over to a rack.

You glance at the jacket and then think for a moment, "Sir, Mr. Killgrave's son, what happened  
to him?"

"He was sent to Azkaban. Destroyed Zebediah to do it. But he had no choice, the evidence was overwhelming. Why do you ask?" Strange says.

"Well...It's just that I had a dream about him. It was in the summer, before school. In the dream I was in a house and Thanos was there only that...he wasn't quite human, and Nebula was there too and Mr. Killgraves son." You frown.

"Have there been other dreams like this?" 

"Yes. Always the same one. Sir...these dreams, what I see, you don't think it's actually happening do you?" 

"I think it's unwise for you to linger over these dreams ____, I think it's best that you simply..."   
Strange puts up his wand and pulls a quivering string of magic out from his head, it looked like a strand of long, gray hair. 

"Cast them away." He places the strand into the pensieve.  
_

You are walking along to your dorm from your visit with Strange, and hear raised voices from inside the herbs store. 

"It's a sign Loki, you know what it means as well as I." 

The door slams open and Sutur and Professor Laufeyson stand there. They glance and see you standing there. Sutur glares at you then leaves.

You clear your throat and start to walk away, "Marvel!" Laufeyson shouts, "What's your hurry? Congratulations, your performance in the black lake was inspiring. Gilliweed, am I correct?" He says snarkily.

"Yes sir." You nod, stepping into the store room.

"Ingenious. A rather rare herb gilliweed, not something found in your every day garden. Nor is this, know what it is?" He plucks a vial from the shelf.

"Bubble juice sir?" You shrug.

"Veritaserum. Three drops of this and you-know-who himself will spill his darkest secrets. The use of this on a student is regrettably forbidden, however should you ever steal from my personal stores again, my hand might just slip over your morning pumpkin  
juice." He says furiously.

"I haven't stolen anything." You say defensively.

"Don't lie to me. Gilliweed might be innocuous, but boomslang skin? lacewing flies? You and your friends are brewing polyjuice potion and believe me I'm going to find out why." 

Laufeyson slams the door in your face.  
_

You emerge from the champions tent, there is huge crowd and loud music is playing. You spot Peter in the stands, he is wearing a sweater that says "Marvel' on it in gold lettering. He cheers and waves to you. Michelle and Ned do the same. You smile and him and wave back.

"Earlier today Professor Fury placed the tri-wizards cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now as Ms. Pryde and Ms. Marvel tied for first position they will be the first to enter the maze. Followed by Mr. Thor and so on. The first person to touch the cup will be the winner. I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter, if at any point should a contestant wish to withdraw from the task he or she  
need only send up red sparks with their wands. Contestants, gather round." 

Everyone groups around and Strange begins to speak, "In the maze you'll find not dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead you'll face something  
more challenging. You see, people change in the maze. Oh find the cup if you can, but be very weary you could just lose yourselves along the way."

"Champions! Prepare yourselves." Nick Fury yells.

You watch Kitty stride over to the stands and hug her father. You feel a pang if hurt that you couldn't ever do the same.

She runs over, and the both of you stand at the entrance to the maze.

Suddenly the cannon goes off two seconds too early. Mr. Lee stands there and shrugs comically. Strange groans.

You allow your self to smile and then you and Kitty enter the maze through different entrances.

The crowd disappears and so does the cheerful music, the entrance closes up completely behind you. Heavy mist sets in, You look up and see maze is many stories tall. You start traversing the maze, and creature noises surround you.

You walk around for a couple of minutes until you sees Mystiques body being swallowed into the undergrowth of the maze wall.

"Mystique? Mystique!" You shout. 

You're too late, she disappears. You send up a red spark into the air for her.

Suddenly a heavy wind starts blowing, the maze walls are closing in. You dart off and continue running until you see something shining in the distance. The cup?

You continue to run towards it, then without warning, Thor tries to zap you with a spell but misses, just barely.

"Get down!" You hear Kitty shout.

You duck and Thor gets hit with a yellow spell. Kitty runs up and kicks the wand out of Thor's hand. She points her wand at Thor's body as if to finish him off, but you run up and intervene, swiftly tackling her to the ground.

"Get off me!" She shrieks. 

"No stop! He's bewitched Kitty!" 

Hands go flying, you attempt to pin Kitty down but she's just too strong.

"Get off me!" She pushes you to the ground.

You shoot up, and the two of you begin running towards the cup. Suddenly, the undergrowth grabs Kitty and she collapses to the ground. You look back.  
Kitty is pinned down with no means of escape.

"_____!_____!" She cries, tears pouring down her dirt covered cheeks.

You hit the plant-life with a spell and Kitty wriggles free. You help her up.

"You know for a moment there I thought you were gonna let it get me." She says, out of breath.

"For a moment so did I." You say darkly.

"Some game huh?"

"Some game." You nod.

The wind starts blowing again. You look around and the cup sits there in front of the two of you, just waiting to be picked up by the victor. 

"Go. Take it, you saved me!" Kitty urges.

You shake your head, "I won't leave you. Together, on three." She smiles and you both grab a handle, "One, two, three!"


	29. The Graveyard

"You ok?" Kitty asks.

"Yeah, you?" 

Kitty nods, "Where are we?"

You glance around. The sky is nearly black. It's a graveyard, eerily familiar. "I've been here before." You murmur. 

"It's a portkey. _____ the cup is a portkey." Kitty says.

"I've been here before in a dream. Kitty, we have to get back to the cup! Now!" You grab her arm and start pulling her along.

"What are you talking about?" Kitty says in confusion, pulling her arm away from you.

Then a wave of searing pain hits you and you let out a shout and hold your head in agony.

"What is it?" Kitty asks, putting a hand on your shoulder.

"Get back to the cup!" You plead, "Kitty go!" 

You can see a figure approach through blurry spots in your vision. Kitty stands in front of you as if to defend you, her wand out. Her Hufflepuff uniform is nearly brown now because of dirt and grime, she looks awfully beat up. You couldn't think, you wanted to yell 'Get to the cup!' But your mouth wouldn't work. If something happened, it was your fault. That's all you could think. Your fault.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Kitty asks, wand at the ready. 

"Kill the spare." A commanding voice calls.

There's a flash of green and a heavy thump next to you. Your head jerks up, and it's Kitty. She lays there lifeless, her last expression was one of terror.

"Kitty!" You cry.

The figure is revealed, it's Nebula, she snatches your wand and pulls you away from Kitty's dead body. You try to fight but it's no use, you're too weak, and she continues to pull you along, and leads you to a statue that grabs hold of your neck and legs.

"Do it, now!" A voice says. 

Nebula drops something into a cauldron, you watch on, trembling feverishly. 

"Bones of the father, unwillingly given." Nebula says,  
A bone hovers in the air under her control, she drops it into a large, steaming caldron.

"Flesh of the servent willingly sacrificed." She takes a knife and slashes her arm over the cauldron and shrieks. You close your eyes tightly as her severed hand falls in the caldron with a sickening splash.

"Blood of the enemy forcibly taken." 

She walks towards your this time, and glances at you with distain. Then she plucks a knife out of her pocket, and looks at your arm which is trapped tightly under the grip of the statue. Your breathing quickens and you begin wriggling your arm feverishly, she lifts the the knife and slices down the length of your arm.

You scream in pain. You can feel layers of flesh, muscle and shirt fabric tearing as she drags the blade down your arm, and it begins a steady trickle of blood. 

Nebula takes the knife over to the cauldron and lets the drops fall into it.

"The mad titan shall rise again." She speaks.

The cauldron bursts into violet flame and with a flash a large man with purple skin, tough features, and lines across his chin and arms emerges. He's wearing jeweled golden armor. It's him, it's Thanos.

There is a deafening pause.

"My wand Nebula." Thanos says. 

She hands him the wand and bows deeply. 

"Hold out your arm." He commands. 

She lifts her arm that she'd cut the hand off of, "Master. Thank you master."

"The other arm." Thanos says.

Nebula looks concerned, but does it anyway. Thanos sticks his wand onto Nebulas wrist. The sky changes, black streams of smoke cross the sky, others have been summoned. They all gather and stand in a circle. Thanos approaches them.

"Welcome my children. Thirty years it's been, and yet you stand before me as though it were only yesterday. I must confess myself disappointed, not one of you tried to find me. Not even you, Adrien."

Liz's father. 

"My lord. Had I detected any sign or even a whisper of your whereabouts." Adrien answers, trembling.

"There were signs, and more than whispers." Thanos says coldly. 

"I assure you I never renounced the old ways. The face I have been obliged to present each day since your absence, that was my true mask." 

"I returned." Nebula says, fishing for some sort of recognition. 

"Out of fear, not loyalty. Still, you have proved yourself useful these past few months." He waves his wand lazily and a mechanized hand appears on the bloody stump that used to be Nebulas hand.

"Thank you, thank you." Nebula says, bowing. 

Thanos kneels next to Kitty's corpse, "Oh, what a waste of talent, such a pretty girl."

"Don't touch her!" You spit, struggling to get free against your stone prison. 

"I'd almost forgotten you were here." He scowls, "Standing on the bones of my father. I'd introduce you but word has it you're almost as well know as me these days. The girl who lived. How lies have fed your legend. Shall I reveal what really happened that night all those years ago? It was love. Foolish love. When Carol Danvers gave her life for her only child she provided the ultimate protection. I could not touch you. It was old magic, something I should have  
forseen. But no matter, no matter. Things have changed." 

He places a finger to your forehead, you scream in despair. Why did it hurt so much for him to touch you! 

"Astonishing what a few drops of your blood will do?" He releases you from your prison, and you fall on the ground in agony. "Pick up your wand." 

It hurt to think, it hurt even more to move. You crawl to your wand but cannot find the strength to lift it. 

"Pick it up, get up now. You've been taught how to  
duel I presume." He grabs you by the collar of your shirt and lifts your to your feet, legs trembling. "We bow to each other." 

You refuse to bow, and stand there silently.

"Come on now, the niceties must be observed, Headmaster Strange wouldn't want you to forget your manners. Now bow." He lifts his wand and your body moves on its own, bowing obediently. 

Suddenly, a flash of red hot magic hits your body, and you fall to the ground. Molten heat suddenly flows through you, it's like a thousand knives piercing your flesh. It's so agonizing you cannot even scream. Instead, you thrash around gasping and choking on every breath. You recognize it, the Cruciatus Curse. 

"Your parents would be proud. Especially your filthy mother. I'm going to kill you _____ Marvel, I'm going to destroy you. You're strong, but I could wave my wand and you'd cease to exist. After tonight no one will ever again question my powers. After tonight if they speak of you they'll speak only of how you begged for death." 

He pulls you to your feet once more, you begin to stumbling away from him, reaching for the cup. 

"Don't turn your back on me. It's a cowardly way to die." 

You assess your options. Then you take a step toward Thanos. 

"Have it your way." You lift your wand, "Expelliarmus!" 

He returns with the killing curse. 

Goodbye Peter, my love. Goodbye Michelle. I'm so sorry Kitty. I couldn't save you. 

There is a blast and your streams of magic meet together, red and green. You both struggle against each other, but there was no way you could win; you weren't strong enough. Thanos' followers all aim their wands at you. 

"Do nothing. She's mine to finish." Thanos commands. Then something amazing happens, shapes form in the surrounding magical energy.

A silhouette appears, your recognize her. Your mother. "_____ when the connection is broken you must get to the portkey. We can delay it for a moment to give you time but only a moment, do you understand?" She yells, then her magical shroud is swept away, and replaced with another familiar face, it's Kitty. 

"_____ take my body back will you? Take my body back to my father." She looks peaceful, clean and beautiful in death. She looks as you want to remember her in life. 

You nod.

"Let go. You're ready. Let go! Let go!" Your mothers voice calls. 

You whip your wand away and the connection breaks, you dart over to Kitty's body and summon the cup into your hand; in an instant you port away.  
_

You appear in the arena with Kitty's body. The crowd around you swells with excitement, they don't understand what has taken place. A triumphant ballad begins. You cannot look at the crowd, you cannot look anyone in the eyes. The only thing you can manage to do is lay there, weeping on Kitty's body. 

When your sobbing doesn't stop, the music ceases and the cheering turns into concerned whispers.

"_____! _____!" Strange calls. He runs over and tries to pry you away from Kitty's body.

"Tell me what happened!" He says grabbing your shoulders.

You let out a sob, "He's back, he's back! Thanos is back. Kitty, she- she asked me to bring her body back. I couldn't leave her, not there." You head falls again, and the tears won't stop.

Strange walks over and puts and hand on your shoulder, "It's alright _____. It's alright, she's home, you both are."

Thaddeus Ross, walks over and begins taking to Strange quickly, you can only catch a few words, "...The body must be moved Strange, there are... too  
many people."

"Let me through! That's my daughter! My girl!" Carmen Pryde, Kitty's father, stumbles down the stands to Kitty's body and breaks down wailing. The crowd looks on distraught. You can see Peter and Michelle shoving through, but before they can reach you, Nick Fury pulls you to your feet and prys you away from Kitty's body.  
_

Nick Fury walks into his office and closes the door behind him with you in tow. You're still sobbing.

He motions to a chair, "Sit, sit. Are you alright Marvel?"

You nod hesitantly.

"Does it hurt?" He asks, glancing toward the cut on your arm.

"Not so much now." You mutter.

"I'd better take a look at it." He grabs your arm and studies the cut intently.

You look at your arm, the blood had mostly clotted  
but it was still bleeding and sticky. You hope Madam Khan can fix it.

"The cup was a portkey. Someone had bewitched  
it." You say anxiously.

"What was it like? What was he like?" Nick Fury asks.

"Who?"

Nick yanks away from your bloody arm quickly, "Thanos. What was it like to stand in his presence?"

You think, "I- I dunno. It was like I'd fallen into  
one of my dreams...one of my nightmares." But Nick is not listening. 

He starts shaking and struggling for air, and reaches for his hip-flask, but it's empty. He rushes to a chest filled with little empty bottles and appears to be struggling to find a certain one.

"Were there others? In the graveyard, were there others?" He says demandingly. 

"Um." You pause, realizing something, "I don't think I said anything about a graveyard Professor." You turn to face him. He glowers at you from the corner of the room. 

"Marvellous creatures dragons aren't they? Do you think that miserable oaf would have led you into the woods if I hadn't suggested it?" He continues digging around his office, throwing things about, "Do you think Katherine Pryde would have told you to hold the egg under the water if I hadn't have told her first myself? Do you think Ned Leeds the witless wonder  
could have provided you with gilliweed if I hadn't have given him the book that led you straight to it?"

He gets closer and you back away.

"It- it was you from the beginning. You put my name in the goblet of fire. You bewitched Thor. But..." you start to panic.

He mocks your tears, "You won because I made it so Marvel. You ended up in that graveyard tonight  
because it was meant to be so. And now the deed is done. The blood that runs through these veins runs within Thanos." He grabs your arm and sticks his thumb into your cut, you cry out in pain. 

He backs away from you, and you shoot up from the chair and move as far away from him as possible, "Imagine how he will reward me when he learns that I have once and for all silenced the great ______ Marvel." 

He points his wand towards you, and is about to speak when suddenly there is bright flash of light and Nick Fury is knocked to the wall. Professor Strange, Laufeyson and T'Challa come rushing in. Strange grabs Nick Fury by the neck.

"Loki..." Strange commands.

Laufeyson shoves a vial of what looks like veritaserum into Fury's mouth. Fury wriggles demonically.

"Do you know who I am?" Strange says, pointing his wand at him.

"Stephen Strange." Fury says, choked.

"Are you Nicholas Fury? Are you?"

"No." Fury smiles malevolently.

"Is he in this room? Is he in this room?" Strange says frantically.

Nick or the imposter, nods then glances towards a chest.

"_____ get away from there!" Strange says.

Strange approaches the chest. He flicks his wand and the chest opens, and it contains a series of smaller chests. The final chest opens and there's a pit within, a man at the bottom.

"Are you alright Nicholas?" Strange calls.

"I'm sorry Stephen." Nick says loopily.

You turn to Strange, "That's Fury, but then who's...?"

Strange holds up one of Fury's Bottles.

"Polyjuice potion." Loki says.

"Now we know who's been stealing it from your store Loki." T'Challa says.

Strange looks into the pit, "We'll get you up in a minute." 

Nick Fury groans. The fake Fury you have captive in  
a chair begins to twitch about restlessly making strange noises. He appears to be transforming. He rips off his fake eyepiece which clunks on the floor, a few seconds later he's transformed into someone you recognize, it's him, the man from the pensive, Zebediah Killgrave Junior. 

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." He growls. He rolls up his sleeve to reveal a skull and snake marking.

"Your arm _____." Strange ushers.

You pull out your bloodied arm.

"You know what this means don't you? He's back. Thanos has returned." Zebediah cackles.

"Send an owl to Azkaban, think they'll find they're missing a prisoner." Strange says in disgust.

"I'll be welcomed back like a hero." Zebediah spits.

"Perhaps. Personally I've never had much time for heroes."  
_

Strange stands before the whole school, it is quiet and solemn. 

"Today we acknowledge a really terrible loss. Katherine Pryde was as you all know, exceptionally hard working, intricately fair minded, and most importantly a fierce fierce friend. I think therefore you have the right to know exactly how she died. You see, Katherine Pryde was murdered by Thanos. The ministry of magic does not wish me to tell you this. But not to do so I think would be an insult to her memory. Now the pain we all feel at this dreadful loss reminds me, reminds us that while we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one. In light of recent events the bonds of friendship we made this year will be more important than ever. Remember that and Katherine Pryde will not have died in vain, you remember that. And we'll celebrate a girl who was kind and honest and brave and true, right to the very end."  
_

You sit on your bed, in your empty room. Your things packed and ready for the train. Professor Strange knocks on the door and walks inside. 

He touches the curtains hanging over your bed "I never liked these curtains. Set them on fire in my fourth year, by accident of course...I put you in terrible danger this year _____, I'm sorry."

You think for a moment, "Professor, when I was in the graveyard there was a moment...um... when Thanos' wand and mine sort of connected."

"Priori Incantatem. You saw your mother that night didn't you? She reappeared."

You nod.

"No spell can reawaken the dead _____. I trust you know that. Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right what is easy. But remember this, you have friends here. You're not alone."  
_

There's a large crowd gathered, the pupils are going home. Michelle is saying goodbye to Thor, Ned is talking to Remy, Miles is hugging Gwen Stacy. That's when you see Peter alone, standing next to a pillar, looking over the Black Lake. You walk over to him.

"Hey." He says.

You stand next to him, "The last thing I thought of before Thanos raised his wand to kill me was you.  
This isn't the easiest for me, I don't know what to say, and I'm going to mess up...but I just think you should know that I love you. Really. I wouldn't care if we had romantic feelings towards each-other or not, because I'd still love you. But these coming months...I don't know what's gonna happen, so if you don't wanna- If you don't wanna be with me, I'd understand." 

He smiles, "I thought you would have figured it out by now." 

"What's that?" You ask.

"I'm with you til' the end of the line." 

You both lean in and kiss, it's tender and hopeful. 

"_____ Marvels boyfriend. I don't mind that." Peter smiles.  
_

"Do you think we'll ever just have a quiet year at Midgards?" Michelle says.

Peter shakes his head.

You look off at the mountains, "No I don't think so." Peter takes your hand. 

"Everything's going to change now isn't it?" Michelle asks.

"Yes." You say solemnly.

"Promise you'll write this summer. Both of you." She asks. 

"Well I won't. You know I won't!" Peter laughs, interlacing your fingers as you walk along.

"_____ will won't you?" She asks.

"Yeah. Every week." You smile.

You all look over the balcony, the flying horses pulling a carriage head off into the distance. The Bifröst ship goes underwater. Loved ones lost but never forgotten. Things will change, but for now, everything was okay.

End of Year 4.


	30. The Order

It's sunset. You sit on the only not broken swing in the abandoned playground, deep in thought. Suddenly, the sound of harsh laughter reaches your ears. 

You look up, it's Hela and her gang of followers walking down the street, telling crude jokes and laughing way to0 loudly. They ignore you and continue on out of sight. You get to your feet and follow them.   
_

It's night now, you quickly round the corner of the street, only to find yourself surrounded by Hela's gang. 

"Oh, it's you." She says distastefully.

"What should we do with her Big H?" One of her followers says.

You burst out into laughter, "Big H? Cool name, but to me you'll always be Ickle Helakins." 

"Shut up!" Hela says sharply. 

One of Hela's gang members steps in as if to punch you. You glare at her. She pauses then steps back. 

"Ooo, tough girl. Not so tough in bed, are you?" Hela starts laughing. 

"W-What?" You falter.

"I heard you talking in your sleep last night. Crying. 'No don't kill Kitty! Mom, help me, heeelp me! He's going to kill me! Boo-hoo!'" She laughs, "And those pathetic love letters I see you write that stupid boyfriend of yours. It's too bad he doesn't even right you back." 

He gang is cackling with laughter.

"Shut up, Hela. I'm warning you..." you growl. 

"Why should I?" 

You whip your wand and point it at her, "Because if don't I'll turn you into the pig you are." 

Her gang laughs but Hela on the other hand looks terrified. 

"D-Don't point that thing at me!" She says. 

"Not so brave now are you Helakins? Now tell your little friends to go away." You demand. 

She quivers and then complies, "G-go home!"

Suddenly nervous, they turn and edge away, soon vanishing into the night. You tighten your grip on your wand, glaring fourteen years of hatred and rage at Hela. 

"Don't you ever speak about that again. You understand?" You say angrily. 

"Don't point that thing at me!" She squeals.

"I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" You shout. 

Suddenly, a cold wind blows through the street causing you to shiver. You exhale and your breath is tinged with frost. The street lights flicker, die, then frost over. Hela is turning around in a circle, terrified. 

"What's happening?" She asks. 

"Quiet!" You command. 

The stars go dark, plunging you into complete darkness. Hela shrieks in fear. You turn to the end of the street. Gliding as smooth as death over the street, tattered robes drifting in the wind, approaches a Dementor. 

"Hela! Run!" You call. 

You turn, grab your cousin by the arm and drag her down an alleyway. Beyond the alleyway is your street, if you could just reach the house. You and Hela break into a run.

A Dementor drifts into the alleyway in front of you. Skidding to a stop, you turn around, to see a second Dementor block the way. You turn back around, and see Hela getting attacked by the first Dementor.

The second Dementor swiftly closes the gap between the two of you and is suddenly right before you, you raise your wand, "Expecto Patronum!" 

A wimpy wisp of light protrudes from the tip of your wand, but it's not enough, the Dementor goes in for the kill. 

You can hear Thanos' voice, "Bow to death _____..." 

Your mother's screams pierce your ears.

Your thoughts become cloudy and you fall on your back, and the Dementor moves closer. Hela screams, and you glance at her. She is on her back, hands pulled apart by the other Dementor, it's great cloaked lowering closer to Hela's face. It's going to perform the Dementors kiss, it's going to suck out Hela's soul. 

You raise your wand in desperation, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

There is a blinding explosion of light as your Patronus bursts forth, blasting the Dementor backwards and away. You think of warm Midgards meals, loving friends, Peters letters and his lips, casting spells, and your parents smiling faces.   
The light intensifies, pulsating from your wand, expanding in the alley with wave after wave of pure light. 

The Dementors flee, the stars and street lamps flicker to life again. Hela lays on the ground, whimpering and shaking. Footsteps sound behind you, and you turn and raise your wand, only to see Frigga and Odin running towards you. 

"What the hell are those?" Odin says. 

"Dementors." You say quickly. 

Frigga kneels on the ground next to Hela, "What happened Helakins?" 

Odin turns on you, and you hastily lower your wand. 

"What is hell is a dementoid?" Odin asks.

Frigga seizes Hela and attempts to look in her mouth, then turns to you, They didn't—?" 

"No." You shake your head.

Odin shoves a large finger at you, "I want some answers."

"We were attacked." 

"By those...things?" He questions. 

"They're evil. If they get the chance, they'll suck your soul out through your mouth." You inform him.

"They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban." Frigga says. Then she looks panicky, "I- I didn't mean..." 

You and Odin look at her dumbfounded. She knew things about the wizard world, she knew about the Dementors kiss. 

Frigga clears her throat, "Let's get home and take Hela to the doctor."   
_

You glance out your window and watch your Aunt, Uncle and cousin leave for the hospital, then close your blinds and let out a shout of frustration, kicking your nightstand. Hedwig squawks loudly. 

"Sorry..." You mutter, stroking her.

Suddenly, your doorknob rattles; you grab your wand and point it at the door, watching, waiting. 

"Lumos." You whisper, the tip of your want ignites with light.

The door swings open, and there stands Nick Fury, Steve Rogers, and a couple other wizards and witches you do not recognize.

"What are you guys doing here!?" You say in surprise.

"We're your advanced guard, _____. Strange sent us as soon as he heard about the attack. We're taking you to safety, we're just waiting to get the all clear." Steve says.

"How'd he know? It just happened!" You ask. 

"You didn't think Strange would just let you wander around on your own did you? Especially after what happened. Oh and," he motions to a woman. "I don't believe you've met Peggy Carter." 

She smiles at you.

"Might wanna fetch your things _____." Steve says. 

"Steve, what's going on? What's Th-" you stop yourself, remembering many are unaccustomed to saying his name.

"We're not talking about it here, it's too risky. We'll tell you everything when we get to headquarters" Fury says.

"Headquarters? How are we getting there?" You ask. 

"Brooms." Peggy says, handing you your broom, it's handle glistening. 

"Thanks." You nod, and start picking up your trunk from under your bed and then placing Hedwigs cage on top, "Well...let's go then."   
_

Red sparks fly into the air from a distance away. 

"That's our signal." Fury says, mounting his broom. 

You release Hedwig from her cage and tell her to follow the guard. You finish buckling your trunk onto the back of your broom, and then mount it.

Following Fury, you push off the ground, darting through the sky. The guard surrounds you protectively as you soar through the air. About five minutes later you reach the outside of a building. Fury lands, everyone follows and dismounts. 

It looks like a normal house block, people indoors watching television, cleaning, listening to the radio. Fury raises his wand and the whole building shutters, you watch an entire complex squeeze its way out of between the buildings next to it. It's somehow dirtier than the rest, more sinister.

You walk into the front hall. The inside was similar to the outside, it was dusty and smelled like mold, the furniture and walls were all dark, drab colors. It was miserable.

There is a doorway into an eating area, you see him, Tony. He smiles at you. He looks so much better than the last time you'd seen him, his hair cut, his face clean. Then Aunt May steps in the door way and blocks you view. 

"Oh ____! It's so good to see you. Everyone's upstairs, we'll have dinner after the meeting." 

You stand there for a second.

"Up, up." She shoos you.

You walk upstairs and she doesn't close the door until you reach the top. 

You stand in front of a drab door, then grab the gold handle and open it. 

"_______!" Peter shouts, tackling you in a hug. 

"Let her breath, Peter!" Michelle says. 

Peter releases you, "I'm sorry, I bet you're furious at us."   
_

You all take a seat on separate beds. 

"Sorry we haven't written. Strange made us swear not too." Michelle says. 

"We wanted too, we really did, but he though they would get intercepted." Peter says.

There is an awkward silence.

"Right." You nod.

"He thought you would be safest there." Peter says quietly. 

"Yeah, real safe. Attacked by Dementors, that's so safe, isn't it?." You say sarcastically, "So why's he keeping me in the dark?" 

They both look awkward. 

"Didn't you bother asking?" You say in surprise.

"We've only seen him twice and it wasn't for very long. He's really busy." Peter says. 

"So I have to spend the summer with my aunt and uncle while you two are here. Together." You say resentfully.

"It's not like that." Michelle says quickly. 

"It's not. And anyways it's nothing special, May won't even let us into the meetings." Peter says.

"But you've still been here! You're not the one who was in the graveyard that night! I'm the one who saw Thanos return, I'm the one who fought him! You didn't watch Kitty Pryde die! " You shout, tears pooling at the corners of you eyes. 

Peter and Michelle stand there looking aghast.  
Looking at you like some freak. They just...don't understand. You look away, there is a silence. 

"What's been going on?" You say quietly. 

"Well we're not allowed to go to the meetings, but we do know a few things. Some of the Order are following known death eaters, like Adrien Toomes." Michelle pauses, "And they're guarding something."

"What's this Order everyone's talking about?" You ask.

"The Order of the Phoenix. Strange started it last time to fight You-Know-Who. He only reorganized it last term." Peter informs you. 

Moments later May opens the door, "You can come down, the meeting is over."  
_

You enter the dining room, and tackle Tony in an embrace. 

"It's good to see you." You smile. 

"Sit, sit." Tony says. "Well, the ministry is furious with you."

"Why?" You say, dumbfounded. 

"You did magic in front of your muggle cousin. You'll  
have to go to a disciplinary meeting tomorrow."

You frown and stand up, "Okay...well I'm not very hungry, I think I'll go to bed." 

"You surprise me _____. I figured the first thing you'd do would've been to ask about Thanos." Tony chuckles.

You pause, then turn around. The room has gone very still, May is glaring a Tony. 

"I wanted too, but I didn't think you'd tell me anything." You shrug.

May stops serving dinner, "And that was quite right _____. You're much to young—" 

"She has a right to know May." Tony says.

"It's not your decision Tony." May says.

"I know what Strange said, but she needs to know something." 

"Yes." You say, stifling a smile.

"She's not a child, May." Tony says smugly.

"She's not an adult either." May pauses, "She's not Carol." 

Tony goes stiff, "I'm fully aware of who she is." 

"I only have _____'s best interest at heart." 

"She's not your child May, she's not your responsibility." Tony says.

"Who else does she have then?" 

Tony stands, glaring at May, "She's got me. She's like a daughter to me." 

You stare at Tony in surprise, May turns and storms out. You and Peter share a glance and he raises his eyebrows and stifles a smile by shoving bread in his mouth.

Tony sits, heavily, "What do you want to know _____?"

Your mind races with questions, "Where is Thanos? What's he doing?" 

"He's hiding at the moment, because the Ministry is ignoring his return and he doesn't want that to change." 

"You really messed things up for him last year, _____." Steve says, smiling. 

"How?" You ask.

"The last person Thanos wanted to alert was Strange."

You nod, "What's his plan?" 

"He's building up his army again, just like before." Tony says.

"And you're stopping him from gaming followers, right?" You ask.

"We're doing our best, but it's proven to be...difficult." Steve says frowning.

"Especially when the Ministry of Magic is insisting Thanos isn't back." Tony grumbles.

"But...why?" 

"Ross likes being Minister of Magic. If it turns out that Thanos came back under his watch, he'll be sacked." Steve says.

"But you're telling people, right?" You say, seriously.

Tony laughs, "Well they think I'm a mass murderer, Rogers is a werewolf, and May and Peggy would lose their jobs at the ministry." 

"But Strange is doing all he can." Steve assures you.

Peter's Uncle Ben joins the conversation, "If he keeps it up, he might end up in Azkaban. That would give you-know-who a clear field to—" Ben stops short and looks as if he'd nearly said too much.

"What?" You press.

"You-know-who wants something. Something he didn't have last time. A weapon." Tony says quietly.

"What kind of weapon?" You ask. 

Steve and Tony exchange glances. 

Steve looks sad, "I'm sorry ____. We can't say anymore."


	31. Love and Discipline

You sit in Peters room after dinner, just the two of you.

"I'm sorry about what May said to Tony. She can be...brash at times." Peter says, smoothing a piece of hair behind his ear. 

"It's alright. It actually made me feel quite good to know that May cares about me that way." You smile half-heartedly.

Peter grins and then pauses, "I want you to know I might not understand perfectly what happened to you last term, but I want to be there for you. Like a partner should be. You're always protecting me, let me protect you. Just once. Please." Peter says. 

You ponder his words for a moment, "I'm sorry for shouting at you. And Michelle. It's just...not a scrap of news from either of you all summer, and the fact that you two have been together for weeks, while I was dying at my aunt and uncles. It's driving me mad thinking about it." 

"You know I don't like Michelle like that." Peter grumbles.

"It's not you I'm particularly worried about."

"What do you mean?" 

"It's just third year."

"Third year?" Peter laughs, "That feels like ages ago..."

"Well...Well, Michelle told me she was in love with you. I didn't tell you because I didn't think it was my place. Last year I thought it cooled down a bit because she met Thor. But now I'm not so sure. I love Michelle, but she has a habit of being stubborn, and persevering through enormous odds. I just can't lose you. You're the only thing that's clear through all of this. You've been here since the beginning. Even though you act really stupid sometimes, I can't lose you. I won't." 

There is a silence, it's not necessarily awkward, but it's not exactly pleasant either. 

"I love you ____." Peter says, taking your hands.

You're taken aback, not sure exactly what to say, but the words find themselves, "I love you too Peter." 

You both immediately connect your lips, it's hot and fierce. It says everything you both wanted to tell each other over the summer. 

His mouth starts parting your shaking lips, sending tremors along your already fried nerves, evoking sensations you had never known yourself capable of feeling. His mouth was so warm, the caress of his lips softer than you'd remembered. Your fingers grip his hair, pulling him closer.

Your veins throb and it feels like your heart is about to explode. You have never wanted anyone like this before. Ever. He pushes you backwards onto his bed and you're lying down, making out in front of the drab portraits of graveyards and hollow forests. You don't care, you don't care about any of that. All you want is Peter. He moves down to your neck, kissing and pulling. He starts fussing with the buttons on your shirt. Oh you want him, so desperately. But you can't. Not here, not tonight. 

"Pete, I should probably get to my room." You say breathlessly. 

He continues kissing your neck, "Mhhhmmm." 

"Peter I don't think I could stop myself if we kept going." You say, nudging him off of you.

"_____," he whines, "Please stay." 

"What do you mean?" You laugh.

"Stay. We don't have to fool around or anything. Just sleep in my bed with- with me. Please." He makes these eyes, they're irresistible. 

"What would everyone say if they saw us in the morning?" You grin.

"They'd never find out." He smirks. "Pleaseee, I've missed you so much, my love!" He says boldly. 

The nightmares you'd been having all summer flash before your eyes. Spending another night alone through those did not sound appealing.

"Well...alright. But we need to be awake before breakfast so we can get downstairs before anyone tries to wake us."   
_

You sleep. You dream.

You're moving slowly down a dark hallway; it has many bolted doors down it's long sides. 

Soon you're running, your not sure why. Then suddenly, you're being pulled along the doors rushing past faster and faster. You can only see the end of a hallway, it's blinding light, still only a speck. 

It grows larger as you rocket towards it, you fly straight through the light and it explodes all around you, engulfing you.

You wake with a cry, sitting straight up, drenched in sweat, you feel very disturbed. 

"It's alright." Peter says, pulling you into his arms, "It's just a dream, it's not real." You want to believe him but for some reason you just can't.  
_

"Morning! Did you kids sleep well?" May asks you and Peter, as you walk into the dining room together.

Michelle and Penni give you a suggestive look. Penni had arrived during dinner yesterday. The two of them must've noticed you hadn't come to the girls rooms the night before. 

"No," you frown, "My scar kept hurting." 

Aunt May and Steve exchange a nervous glance. 

"Probably just nerves..." May says. 

Oh, if only she knew all the nerves you were feeling while you and Peter were together last night. Although you wanted to do more than kissing, the drab house was not the place for any fooling around, romantic or otherwise. 

"Yeah...nerves..." You mutter.

Peggy Carter approaches you, "I'll be taking you to the Ministry for your hearing, _____. We better be off soon, don't want to run into too many Muggles." 

You nod your head and hug Peter goodbye.

"Good luck." He whispers. 

You were going to need it.  
_

The street is not very crowded, as the sun rises in the east. You and Peggy hurry along the sidewalk and come to a phone-booth.

"Good, good." She says, her red lips turning to a smile, "Not many Muggles." 

She opens the phone-booth and slips inside, and beckons you, "Well come on in, _____. Down we go." 

You slip inside the booth, and Peggy closes the door behind you. She picks up the phone and listens through the wrong end, "I do like using the telephone!" Then punches in a number. 

A voice sounds, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your business." 

"_____ Marvel, disciplinary hearing." Peggy responds.

"Please stand by." The voice says. There is a pause, and then the whole phone booth begins to sink down into the ground.

"Usually I apparate, but you're too young, so I thought we'd take the scenic route." Peggy shrugs.

The booth shutters to a halt, and the door slides open, reveling a large lobby filled with busy looking wizards and witches going to and fro. You both exit the phone booth and enter the lobby. 

The door to the phone book closes, and booth slides up again, out of sight. You and Peggy begin to weave your way through the crowd of people. 

"Keep close, _____!" She calls. Then, a stooped, timid looking, white-haired wizard pushes through the crowd towards Peggy. 

"Ah, Mr. Perkins. Good m-" 

"Peggy, they've changed the time of Miss. Marvels hearing." 

"Blast. To what time?" She asks.

"Right now."  
_

You and Peggy step inside a huge elevator. 

"Strange said they'd try something like this. I knew we should've came earlier." She grumbles. 

Several other witches and wizards step in the lift as well and the same voice from the telephone booth speaks, "Going down to the Department of Mysteries." 

"Department of Mysteries?" You ask.

"Yep, I've no idea what they get up to in there, but it's top secret." Peggy answers. 

The doors open, and you and Peggy exit, rushing along the corridors of the building. You skid to a stop and look down a dark hallway. Peggy stops and glances back at you. 

"Come on ____." She says.

"I've been there before..." You mutter. 

"What? Come on dear, we have to go." She says, putting a hand on your shoulder. 

A few moments later, you both arrive to the door of the courtroom. 

"There you are, _____. Good luck." She smiles at you. She's very good at hiding her anxiousness.

"Thank you, Peggy. Really." You nod, and walk into the chamber.  
_

One side of the courtroom is an elevated, trapezoidal-shaped series of seats carved from black stone. The whole room is dark, except for a light shining through from the ceiling down on the center of the room, where a single wooden chair sits, covered in chains.

"You're late." Says Thaddeus Ross, Minister of Magic. 

You don't know what to say.

"Eh...sorry." You mutter. 

"No matter, the accused will take her seat." 

You do so, glancing nervously at the chains on the chair. 

"Very well, we are ready to begin." Ross says.

Then, a voice sounds from the back of the chamber, you recognize it instantly, "Witness for the Defense, Stephen Vincent Strange. Master of the Mystic Arts. Sorcerer Supreme." 

You turn in your seat, Strange stands by the door of the courtroom, looking up at the Minister.

"Ah...you...er...got our message that the time changed, did you?" Ross says.

"Must've missed it." Strange says cheerfully, "However, due to a fortunate mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early." He finishes with a gracious smile and takes a seat in the stands behind you. He looks on with polite interest.

"Well. The...ah....charges." Ross consults his notes, "The charges against the accused are as follows, produced with deliberation and fore-knowledge of the illegality of her actions, a patronus charm in full sight of a Muggle." He pauses and looks at you, "You are _____ Vers Marvel?" 

You cringe at the use of your full name, "Yes." 

"And you do admit to conjuring a patronus charm on the night of the eleventh of August?"

"Yes but—" 

"You produced a patronus? A fully formed patronus with a clearly-defined shape?" A woman in the stand asks. 

"Yes." You nod.

"That is most remarkable, Ms. Marvel." The woman says in astonishment. 

"Ms. Helen Stacy, it doesn't matter how remarkable it was!" Ross says angrily.

"You're missing an important point Minister, I was only doing it because of the Dementors!" You announce.

The room begins to buzz with whispers.

"What do you mean?" Helen Stacy asks. 

The last name, it's vaguely memorable. That's when the resemblance hits you, she must've been Gwen Stacy's mother. You harbored no ill feelings towards Gwen, despite the fact she went to the ball with Peter. She was with Miles now, from what you knew. Oddly enough, you all wanted the others dates, Miles wanted Gwen, you wanted Peter. 

"My cousin and I were attacked by Dementors. That's why I had to use the patronus, to drive them away." You inform her.

"Yes, yes, another fictional story." Ross says.

"It's the truth!" You shout. 

"Of course it is." Ross says sarcastically.

"Dementors? In a muggle neighborhood?" Helen Stacy says.

"Oh come on now, Helen. She's clearly lying." 

"Actually, we have a witness to the presence of the Dementors in question." Strange says.

"We haven't got time to—" 

"I may be wrong, but I do believe it says in somewhere in the Wizards Charter of Rights that the accused has the right to witnesses to prove his or her case? In fact, I do believe I wrote that particular bit myself." Strange says smugly. 

"Very well. Charles, fetch the witness." Ross says. A familiar face stands up, why it was Charles Xavier. The former Gryffindor prefect. He looked much more serious, less care-free. When his eyes met with yours the carried no sympathy. Just cold judgement and conviction. 

He walks to the door and lets the witness in, it's one of your neighbors at your aunt and uncles, Jennnifer Walters. She'd often babysit you while your aunt and uncle would take Hela out to the movies or dinner. But why was she here, and how was she here? You move out of the center chair and sit by Strange. Jennnifer takes the center seat.

"Full name?" Ross asks. 

"Jennnifer Susan Walters, I'm a squib. And a resident near where the attack took place." 

She was a squib! Thats why Strange knew her. 

"So...what's your story?" Ross says.

"I was sitting on my porch when I saw the two Dementors gliding towards the girls." 

"What did the Dementors look like?" Helen Stacy asks.

"Well they were big and wore great, tattered cloaks." 

There is a great mumbling through the stands. 

"Anything else?"

"I- I felt them. It was horrible...like I would ever be happy again." Jennifer shutters.

"Very well, you may go." Ross says. 

Jennnifer collects her things, nods to you, and leaves the courtroom.

"Not very convincing." Ross says rudely.

"Oh, I disagree. She described their effects very completely." Helen Stacy says.

"So two Dementors just happen upon a muggle suburb? I think not..." Ross says sourly.

"Only if the Dementors are still taking their orders from the Ministry these days. I believe you know my views on this Thaddeus." Strange chimes in. 

"Yes, and they are nothing but fiction, Strange." 

A man shifts into view. He is tall, lean and moves very robotically, "Excuse me Strange, but did you just accuse the Ministry of Magic of ordering an attack on this girl?"

"If the Dementors are taking their orders from the Ministry exclusively, then it must certainly follow logically that someone in the Ministry ordered the attack." Strange pauses, "And in that case I'm sure the ministry will make a fully inquiry on why two Dementors were so far from Azkaban." 

"Dementors are irrelevant!" Ross shouts.

"On the contrary, Thaddeus. If they were there, then ______ was acting in self-defense, which is perfectly allowable under Clause Seven of the Decree of Reasonable Restriction of Underaged Wizardry." Strange pauses, "We are all in agreement on this?" 

"Well, yes, if she's telling the truth!" Ross says, his face turning red.

"You have heard it from eye-witnesses, Thaddeus." Strange says. 

Ross sighs, "Very well, all for clearing the accused of charges?" Ross glances around the room, noting all the hands in the air. 

"All opposed?" Ross says. Only a few people in the stands raise their hands. 

Ross looks like he's about to explode, "Fine! Cleared of all charges!" 

"Excellent." Strange says. He gets out of his chair, and vanishes from the courtroom with the wave of his hand.

You step out of your chair and glance upward at the tall, strange man. Your eyes meet for a split second and he glowers at you. You frown, deeply unsettled, and leave.  
_

You exit the courtroom too see Peggy Carter standing outside, beaming.

"______, you've been let off! That's wonderful!" 

The door opens again, and the whole court exits. 

"You were tried by the full court?" Peggy asks.

"I think so, yeah." You nod.

Peggy looks concerned, but she brushes it off, "Well no matter. Let's go home." 

You both begin walking away from the courtroom, when you come upon Thaddeus Ross talking quietly Adrien Toomes. They are standing in front of the corridor you recognized from your dream. 

"Well, well, if it isn't the patronus caster." Adrien says sinisterly, "The Minister here was just telling me how very lucky you were to escape those Dementors. Quite astonishing..."

"What are you doing here?" You say sourly.

"Come now, Marvel. I don't think private matters between the Minister and I are any concern of yours." He smiles malevolently at you, then turns back to the Minister, "Shall we continue this in your office, Ross?" 

"Certainly." The Minister nods.

You watch them go.

"If he wanted to talk to the Minister, why do it down here?" You ask Peggy.

"Dunno, _____. Some things are just beyond comprehension." As she speaks, Peggy gazes down the long, dark hallway, with a worried look.


	32. Professor Ultron

You stand in the kitchen at headquarters, surrounded by Peter, Penni, Michelle, Tony, Steve, and Peggy. 

"I knew it!" Peter says cheering for you. 

Michelle, Peter and Penni begin dancing a strange jig all singing, "She got off, she got off, she got off!"

"Settle down you three." Steve says, but you can tell he's hiding a grin.

Peter hugs you tenderly, and you catch Michelle briefly glower at you over his shoulder. The chanting dies down.

"Tony, we saw Ross talking with Adrien Toomes on Level Nine again. Tell Strange next time he comes in, would you?" Peggy asks.

"Yeah, absolutely." Tony nods.

"Well I better be off, I've got a bewitched bookshelf to deal with. Also, I'm covering for Benjamin on guard duty later tonight, so I won't be home until later." Peggy's smiles and puts her hand on Steve's shoulder briefly. A small grin grows on his face. Peggy waves and then leaves. 

Your scar suddenly explodes with pain. You yelp and clasp you hand to your forehead. 

"_____!" Tony calls.

You gasp with pain and fall to your knees. Then as suddenly as it had come, the pain vanishes. Shaken, you gasp as Peter, Tony and Steve help you into a chair. 

"You all right, _____?" Peter asks.

"Yeah...just...my scar...the pain is getting stronger." 

Peter gives a worried glance to Michelle, who looks grim.  
_

You sit on your bunk, just thinking. Tony enters the room but you barely react, still gazing into space. 

"______, I've got something that might interest you." 

You look up. Tony sits at the edge of the bed and brandishes an old tattered photo, and hands it to you.

"This was the original Order of the Phoenix. Found it while we were cleaning. This old place needs it. God I haven't been here in years. Not since..." Tony gazes off. 

You look down at all the smiling faces in the photo. Tony points to the moving faces.

"There's Fury and Strange, right next to Maria Rambeau. She was one of your mothers oldest and best friends. But she was killed two weeks after this was taken...oh and then there's Richard and Mary Parker. Peter's parents, tortured to death. Along with Edward Leeds." 

"Ned's father?" You ask.

Tony nods, "There's Steve of course."

He rattles off a couple other unfamiliar names and stories of their deaths, "Well there's me, best looking in the photo of course, and then there they are." 

Your parents beam up at you. 

"My parents." You say softly. 

You gaze at the picture for what feels like ages.

"I miss them Tony..." 

"I know, _____. I miss them too." He puts his arm around you. 

"It's not fair that I got to spend so much time with them and you didn't..." He has a tender sadness in his eyes.

You close your eyes, "Why'd they have to die, Tony, why?"

"I don't know kid. I wish I did, but I don't..."

There is a moment of long silence. It's deafening.

"I know I'm not your father, _____, but I'll always be there for you, if I can help it." 

"Thanks." You nod.

The door cracks open and an ugly, menacing house elf enters, looking around suspiciously.

"That mudblood with the scar, why does she cry so?" It mutters.

"Jarvis, get out of here! Now!" Tony says.

"Oh how the old Master would weep to see the old traitor in his house..." The elf says before, shuffling out.

"Uh...who was that?" You ask.

"Jarvis. He's been alone with the house for years, he's gone a bit funny. He's been here since I was a child." Tony pauses, "You'd better get some rest. And no sneaking into Peter's room tonight." 

"You know about that?" You say in astonishment.

"You kids think you're so slick. I know every trick in the book." He smiles, "Not a bad choice. He's a good kid. I may not see eye to eye with May on everything, but she and Ben did a good job raising Peter. I just wish I could've done the same thing for Carol as she did for Richard and Mary." 

"It's not your fault, Tony." You pause, "I just thought you should know." 

"Thank you." Tony smiles half-heartedly and walks out, closing the door behind him. 

Only seconds later Michelle and Peter come bursting in the room.

"______! Peter and I have been named House Prefects!" Michelle grins, and hands you a letter. 

You rip open the parchment.

"What about you, _____?" Michelle asks.

You shake your head.

"Are you sure? I would have thought you would get one!" Peter says in surprise. 

"I'm sure. Nothing." You say calmly. You were looking normal on the outside but you were crying on the inside. That's how you felt most of the time these days.

There is an awkward moment. 

"So, uh...congratulations Peter, Michelle..." You mutter.

"Well...thanks, _____." Michelle says. "Come on Peter, May says she wants to take our photo."

Peter looks torn, so you make his decision for him.

"Yes, do go enjoy yourselves." You nod.

You lay down on your bed away from them, Michelle steps out and Peter puts his hand on your arm for a brief moment, then walks out and shuts the door.

You are alone.  
_

You, Ned, Peter and Michelle exit the Midgards Express and move quickly through the crowd of students to the carriages that will take you to the castle.

As you prepare to climb into one of the carriages, you stop and stare in awe. There is a reptilian, horse-like creature harnessed to the front of the carriage, whereas before the carriages pulled themselves, whereas before there was nothing there.

"What is that?" You say in awe.

"What?" Says Peter, peering around.

You point, "That...that...thing!"

Peter stares for a long moment, then looks at you.

"There's nothing there, love..." He says softly, putting his hand on your back.

"Yes there is, it's right there!"

You point again and Peter shakes his head. 

"Don't worry _____, you're not insane. I see them too." A male voice says.

You turn to him. He is a spacey looking boy, but handsome in his own right. 

"Er...you are?" You ask.

"Wade. Wade Wilson." He extends a fist. You return, and fist-bump him. "Alright, were off to a good start." Wade says happily.

You turn to Peter, he looks at you and shrugs.

"Well...thanks, Wade." You nod.

You all clamber into the carriage, Wade following. It starts moving toward the castle.  
_

"I beg a few moments of your attention, as I have a few start of term announcements. Right off, our caretaker, the good Mr. Lee, asked me to remind you for what is he says, the four-hundred and sixty-seventh time that he has annually updated list of various banned items, usually introduced by our humor experts, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff." 

Wanda and Pietro stand and take a bow; cheering, laughter, clapping and yelling ensues. You smile at the twins. 

"...the contraband list is posted on the door of Mr. Lee's office. We have some new staffing this year. The former Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be resuming his post, while Professor Banner is on...extended leave."

You, Peter, and Michelle share a worried glance.

"Additionally we have Professor Ultron who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts—" 

"Eh em." A voice sounds. 

Strange stops speaking. A man stands up, a man you recognize. He was the man from the hearing, he was tall and lean, with a head of bleach-blonde hair, and piercing crimson eyes. His expression was smug and distasteful, and his attire was the same: plain gray robes, with plain gray shoes, and a plain gray undershirt. Colors didn't smell, but the man reeked of sliver and gray. His skin was almost metallic, and the way he moved was not entirely human, it was like he wasn't conformable in his body. 

"Pardon me, Headmaster, if I may address the school?" He asks.

Strange looks a bit taken aback, and T'Challa glares at Ultron. Strange nods, sits down at the head table and then invites Ultron forwards.

"Thank you, Headmaster. I thought I would just say a few words. I am here at the Ministry of Magic's disposal, under Educational Decree twenty-two, which states that if the Headmaster of Midgards is unable to fill any teaching post the Ministry shall select one for the position." 

Strange inclines his head, and murmuring starts among the students.

"The Ministry has always considered the magical education of our children to be of vital importance, and the passing down of the ancient and noble art of wizardry to the next generation, lest it be lost forever. Without progress, there is stagnation. But progress for progress's sake must be discouraged because our art requires no tinkering. A balance must be attained, the new and the old, permanence and change, tradition and innovation, order and chaos. There are large changes coming soon, changes walking the fine line between order and chaos. Know only these changes are for the best, and to prevent the destruction of our civilization from its own decay." Ultron gives a sinister look and then smiles down at you all, but to you, the smile feels a little fake.  
_

All the Gryffindors make their way to the common room, then sit, relaxing by the fire, listening to the radio, playing games. But it seems off, everyone had been looking at you, whispering. Currently Remy was looking at the newspaper then glaring at you. You walk over to Remy and Luke.

"Luke, Remy, Good summer?" You ask.

"Yeah, mine was better than Remy's I think." Luke says angrily.

Remy throws down the paper, "My mom didn't want me to come back this year."

"Why not?" You ask calmly.

"Huh let me see...uh, because of you." He says distastefully. "The Daily Prophets been saying a lot of things about you, ______, and about Strange as well."

"Your mom believes them?" You say shock.

"Well nobody was there the night Katherine died." Remy says mater-of-factly.

"Well maybe you should read the Prophet then, just like your stupid mother, it'll tell you everything you need to know!" You shout. 

"Don't you dare talk about my mother like that!"

"I'll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar!" You say, preparing to fight Remy.

"Woah, what's going on?" Peter asks, running inside the common room. 

"She's crazy is what going on. Do you believe the garbage she's come out with about you-know-who?" Remy scoffs.

"Yeah, I do. Has anyone else got a problem with my girlfriend?" Peter says proudly.

A few people look surprised, your relationship was not public before this. You let a small sob escape your lips as you run out of the common room. You step out of the portrait hole, into the hallway. You run, and run, all the way to the astronomy tower.  
_

You sit, looking out at the Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest. You hear footsteps behind you.

"You alright?" Peter says, sitting next to you, placing a hand on your shoulder.

"I'm fine." You huff. 

"Remy had no right to say that...but he'll come through, you'll see." 

You explode in anger, "I said I'm fine, Peter!" 

It goes silent, Peter's hand falls. He kisses your head and walks away.

You break down into tears. 

Kitty was dead. 

Your fault. 

Thanos was back. 

Your fault.

And now, you were pushing Peter away. You hear the flutter of wings and look up, it's Hedwig. She lands next to you and nudges you with her head, you stroke her gently, wiping your tears.

"I'm so angry all the time...no one believes me, Hedwig. No one." You lie against the cold stone. "I'm alone." 

Hedwig snuggles into your lap, tucks her wings, and closes her eyes.  
-  
You dart down the halls of Midgards, then you skid around the corner, and slide into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. You stumble into the wall and then fall loudly. 

The whole class looks at you as you come staggering in. 

"Sorry, Professor. Fell asleep on the Astronomy tower." You mutter.

Ultron gives a sinister smile and looks at you, "Let's see...five points from Gryffindor for coming in late."

You nod your head, not really caring, and plop down next to Peter.

"Now, as I was saying before Ms. Marvel disrupted us, your Defense Against the Dark Arts education has been rather fragmented, and disjointed in your past, hasn't it? Well, I will be following a pre-approved, Mistry-prepared, theory-centered, defense lesson plan." He waves his hand at the blackboard and words appear, "Copy this down."

Everyone opens their books and begins copying, except Michelle, who sits with her book unopened and her hand in the air. Professor Ultron ignores her. However, within the next few seconds, nearly the whole class is watching Michelle. 

Ultron sighs, "Yes?" 

"I want to know something about your course aims." 

"Well they should be perfectly self-evident." Ultron says, pointing to the board.

"Well, with all do respect, I don't think they are. They say nothing about actually doing spells."

"I can't imagine under any circumstances in my class why you would need spells, Ms. Jones."

"But surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is practical application?" Michelle says seriously.

"Ms. Jones, this class has been approved by Ministry experts. Are you a Ministry Expert?" 

"No, but—" 

"Then you have no business challenging those who are. We will be learning about spells in a safe, risk-free environment-"

"But we've got O.W.L.s coming up! You expect us to do the spells with no practice?" Michelle says.

"Yeah." You chime in, "What goods theory in the real world?"

"This is a school, not the real world, Ms. Marvel. There is nothing out there waiting to get you."

Fury gnaws on your heart, "What about Thanos?"

The whole room flinches at the sound of the name. Peter grabs your hand, you look at him and his eyes are pleading for you to back down. But you won't. You can't. 

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Ms. Marvel. And let me set the record straight." He stands behind his desk, his red eyes, piercing. "Some of you have been told a certain dark wizard has returned, this is a lie."

You shoot up, knocking your books to the ground, livid rage flowing through you.

"IT'S NOT A LIE!" You shout.

"Ms. Marvel you have just landed yourself in detention." Ultron says, he looked mostly calm, if not for his mouth pressed into a fine line, and his eyes full of hatred. 

You move around your desk stiffly, trembling with rage, feeling dangerous.

"So according to you Katherine Pryde dropped dead of her own accord? Or are you calling me a murderer?" 

"The girl's death was a tragic accident."

You reach Ultron's desk. You slam your fist against the wood, thrusting your finger right up to him, glaring absolute daggers. 

"It was MURDER! I saw it happen!"

The class is deathly still. 

"Ms. Marvel you have earned yourself a weeks worth of detention!" Ultron shouts, finally losing his composure.

"Oh yeah? Talk to someone who cares. Thanos killed Kitty, and you know it." 

Ultron snatches up a quill, scribbles a note and hands it to you, "That goes to Proffessor T'Challa."

You snatch it from him and storm out of the room, not sparing a glancing to anyone.   
_

You storm down the hall, turn the corner and practically kick open the door to T'Challa's office. You stomp inside and hand the note to T'Challa, he takes it and glances at it.

"Is it true? Did you shout at Professor Ultron? Threaten him?"

"Yes." You say distastefully.

"Have a biscuit, Marvel." He hands you a plate of delicious looking cookies. You take one and shove it into your mouth, chewing angrily.

"Are you okay now?" He asks. 

You nod.

"Good. Now, dear girl have some common sense! Ultron is reporting directly to Ross. He is here to...interfere...with Strange. And things could get much worse, trust me. Please, use caution, always, Marvel. Do not mess with Draven Ultron, he is dangerous. The Orders hands are tied at Midgards, ______. If you get too deep into trouble, we may not be able to get you out. Do you understand?" 

"Yes, Professor." You nod.

"Good, off you go." T'Challa smiles.  
_

You, Michelle and Peter sit in a corner of the common room, trying to ignore the talking and the chattering all around you. 

"How can Strange let that horrible man teach? And when we're talking our OWL tests too!" Michelle complains.

"You think he's here to spy on us?" Peter asks.

"Well, not us specifically, but definitely Strange and the Order." Michelle says, at that moment Gamora Titan comes up to you.

"Well, way to go, Marvel. Your detention is the same time as Quidditch practice." She says.

"Oh! Sorry..." you frown.

"Yeah, well, you're going to have to get out of it somehow. We're holding tryouts for Keeper now that Matthew's gone, and I wanted to have the whole team there." 

You shake your head, "I'll never get out of it, Gamora. I'm sorry." 

"Well, just...don't do it again!" Gamora says, then storms off.  
_

You, Peter and Michelle are heading back inside to the common room after a walk through the courtyard. 

"Well, love, shall we start on Laufeysons's report?" Peter smiles.

You frown, "Ugh, later, I have detention. I bet Ultron's gonna make me dust the shelves, reorganize the textbooks and such." 

"Well, good luck." Peter says, putting a hand on your shoulder and then stepping inside the portrait hole.

"Thanks..." You mutter.  
_

You open the door to Ultron's office, it creaks loudly, alerting him of your presence.

"Ah, Marvel. Sit down." 

You plop down in a chair right in front of his desk. 

"You'll be doing lines." He places a piece of parchment before you.

"Sir, I haven't got a quill..." 

"Actually, you'll be using a rather special one of mine." He sets it down before you, it's blood-red, just like his eyes, just as sinister, "You will write "I will not tell lies" until I tell you to stop. Understand?"

You nod, "Ummm, sir there's no ink." 

"Oh...you won't need ink." He says in an odd tone. 

You shrug and begin to write, then gasp. There is a sharp pain in your hand, like someone was stabbing you. You look at your hand, and see that "I will not tell lies" has carved itself onto the skin of your hand, and the quill had written the words on the parchment in bright red blood, your blood. 

The words heal over and a pink scar is left on your hand. 

"Is there a problem, Marvel?" Ultron says, smiling evilly. 

You shake your head and return to the lines. You gasp after writing the lines again, the words on your hand seeping deeper into your skin. You won't let Ultron beat you, you grit your teeth and force yourself on.   
_

Your trembling, weak hand scratches the final line of the evening, the words on your hand not healing any longer, but bleeding profusely. 

"That's enough for this evening. Same time tomorrow, and we'll see if we can get the message in a bit deeper." Ultron says, now looking bored.

You stagger to your feet, weak and sullen, and stumble out of the office. When you exit, you wobble around a corner and break into a terrified run.   
_

You slip into the girls dorms and fall asleep, but nightmares fill your brain. You're in the dark hallway again, moving down it slowly and meaningfully. Locked doors surround you, they're down the walls as far as you can see. You break into a jog, then a run, then a sprint. The doors rush past you.

Suddenly and invisible force grabs you and pulls you along, faster and faster, the doors a blur. Then you stop the end, it's a blinding light, which you blast into. As the light fades, you catch a glimpse of a room, beyond the light, for only an instant.

Then it too is gone, and you shoot awake with a yelp, hands pressed against your scar, which is burning horribly. You sit there, trembling, until the pain subsides.  
_

You glance around the common room, looking puzzled, Michelle walks in a moment later.

"Hey, Michelle?" You ask.

"Yeah?" 

"Have you seen Peter? I was supposed to give him what I'd written so far for the potions essay." 

"No need, I let him copy off mine instead because you got detention. But he has been acting a bit fishy all week." She points out.

"Uh huh." You nod absentmindedly. 

Michelle shrugs.

You stand up, "Well...another night, another detention."  
_

You scratch away with the horrible quill, gritting your teeth, determined not to make a sound. Sweat beads on your forehead, and blood is flowing freely from the cut on your hand.

"That's enough for tonight, Marvel. Let's see that hand." 

Ultron reaches out and touches your head. Instantly, pain explodes in your scar, and you leap back, as if he'd electrocuted you. You stumble around due to blood loss, and clutch you scar in agony. 

You stair back at him in horror, and he grins unpleasantly. You stagger backward and out the door of his office without another word.  
_

You attempt to run down the hallway, swaying on your feet, looking like a drunk. Blood pours down your hand, and dribbles onto the floor. 

You stagger to the portrait and murmur the password, it opens, and you go through it.

Inside the entire Quidditch team is talking. You stop, about to go outside again but a voice stops you.

"_____! I tried out as keeper! I got in! I'm on the team." It's Peter.

You finally turn around, in full view of everyone. It goes silent as they take in the full view of you, pale and gaunt, barely standing, with one hand clutching your scar and the other hanging limply at your side, covered in blood.

"_____—what happened!" Peter shouts.

You legs give out and you collapse onto the floor. Wanda, Pietro, Peter and Michelle lift you up, and take you to the couch.

"She's got to be taken to the hospital wing." Michelle says.

"No! Can't give...Ultron the satisfaction..." you say weakly.

"Ultron did this?! I'm gonna kill him!" Peter roars.

"Peter calm down! _____, you said Ultron was making you do lines!" Michelle says.

"He is. But the quill has some sort of spell on it, so it uses my blood for ink." You tell her.

"That old hag! He's sick! How could he do this to you, you're— you're just a kid! Why didn't you tell me!" Peter grabs your shoulders.

"Peter stop!" Michelle says, tugging him off of you. 

You feel horrified at Peter's rage, you'd never seen him like this. 

"Oh, _____. You've got to go to Strange, you can't keep this up." Michelle says.

"No, I'm not telling anyone. You guys weren't supposed to know anyways." 

Michelle shakes her head, "_____, I really think you should tell—" 

"No!" You shout, climbing slowly to your feet.

"I don't need his help! I don't need anyone's help!" You push past everyone, and limp into the girls dormitories.


	33. Messages

You sit in the Great Hall, at the Gryffindor table, bent over a piece of parchment, scribbling away. You finish and look around the room, and suddenly notice Peter and Michelle sitting in front of you.

Michelle is staring up at the teachers table.

"Bruce is still not back yet...I hope he's alright." Michelle mutters.

"I've asked Tony about it." You indicate to the parchment, Michelle pulls it towards her. She reads it and looks startled.

"_____! You can't write to him! Owls are being intercepted, it isn't safe." Michelle squeals.

"Don't worry, Michelle. I wrote it in a code. Anyway, I figured I needed to tell at least one adult about Ultron. My scar hurt again last night in detention." 

"This isn't right. Ultron...there's something odd about him." Peter mutters.

"You think he's working for You-Know-Who?" Michelle says in surprise.

"Well its a possibility, isn't it?" You shrug.

Michelle looks dubious, "I suppose so. He could have him under the Imperious Curse, though it's unlikely. Strange would know."

You lean in close, "Yeah, but Strange didn't have a choice did he? Ultron was sent here by the Ministry." 

Michelle nods, then unfurls a copy of the Daily Prophet. 

"Anything about _____?" Peter asks.

"Nothing." Michelle pauses, "Wait, look at this." 

She slaps the paper down on the table, you and Peter lean in to get a better glimpse.

Michelle begins reading the article, "Trespass at Ministry. Bob Podmore has appeared in front of the trial with charges of trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on the 31st of August. He was arrested when trying to break into a top-security door at one in the morning. Podmore was convicted and sentenced to six months in Azkaban." 

"He's in the Order...do you think he was framed?" Peter says. 

"Quiet!" Michelle demands.

You all stop talking as Luke Cage walks past. 

"Well come on, we'll be late for charms if we don't hurry." Luke says to the group.

"Right." Peter mutters.

You take the parchment and stand, "Go on without me. I want to send this." 

Michelle nods and starts hurting away to charms. Peter nods as well, takes one step, and then turns around, "No, I want to come with you." 

"Pete, you don't have to do that..." You mutter. 

"I want to, we haven't had a moment to ourselves."

"You don't want to be seen with me, people stare and whisper. I'm not worth it."

"Then let them whisper and stare, I don't care what they say about us, and you shouldn't either, come on." He takes your arm.  
_

You step into the owlry, the floor covered in straw, and hundreds of hooting owls resting on many roosts above.

"Hedwig!" You call.

She flutters down to you, and lands on your arm. She regards Peter with caution. You fish a treat out of your pocket and give it to her.

You give her the letter, "You know who it's for, Hedwig." 

She flies out of the open window and soars away, out of sight over the Forbidden Forest. You gaze at the forest, the same reptilian horses that had been pulling the carriages were soaring high over the trees. You frown, it was useless to point them out, for no one you knew could see. Well except Wade, but he was a year below you.

The door creeks open, you turn and see Miles Morales enter. Peter stands up straighter, as if to look tougher, and regards Miles with an awkward caution. You approach Miles, and Peter stays by the window.

"Hi." You smile. 

"Oh...hi. Didn't think anyone else would be up here." He moves to a brown owl. There is an awkward silence.

"Well, have you found a new Keeper for Quidditch?" He asks.

"Yeah my fri— boyfriend, Peter Parker." You beckon Peter over. 

"Uh, h-hey man." Peter says awkwardly.

Miles nods and ties his package to his owl, "You any good at Quidditch, Peter?" 

"Well, uh, good enough to make the team I guess." Peter shrugs.

Miles let's go of the owl and it flies out the window, he turns to you, "That was really brave, standing up to Ultron, _____." 

You smile and stand up straighter, "Yeah...well it was the truth." 

The owlry door burst open again, Stan Lee charges in, "Marvel, I'll have what you're sending." He says.

"What?" You say in surprise.

"I had a tip-off that you were ordering a large amount of dungbombs." 

"You're too late, they're gone." You say, suppressing a smirk.

"Yep, I saw her send it." Miles says, grinning.

Stan regards him for a moment, and then turns to you, "Just...no dungbombs, Marvel. Ultron's put enough on my plate." He says it almost kindly.

"Oh...no problem, Mr. Lee." You say, suddenly feeling bad. 

He nods then leaves the owlry.

There is a silence for a moment as everyone processes what happened.

"Um, you weren't actually ordering dungbombs were you?" Miles laughs nervously.

"No."

"I wonder why he'd think you were." Miles pauses, "I'll see you around, _____." He extends a hand and you shake it, then he turns and exits the owlry.

You smile.

"Is...something going on between you two?" Peter says cautiously.

"What? No. He's my friend. We may have gone to the ball together, but it was only because you didn't ask me in time. Besides, he's with Gwen and I'm...with you, right?" 

"Yeah..." Peter takes your hand.  
_

You, Michelle and Peter are making your way back up to the castle from the Quidditch pitch. You and Peter are caked in mud from head to toe, and Peter's head hangs low.

"You, ordering dungbombs. I mean, really." Michelle says, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I know it doesn't make any sense." You shrug.

"Unless whoever tipped Lee off was interested in reading your mail. Isn't it weird that he got a tip when you decided to send a message to Tony?" Michelle points out.

You think, "Yeah, it does seem a bit weird. You figure it's Ultron?"

Michelle shrugs, "I don't know."

Just then Liz appears close by, "Hey! Parker!" She shouts, "With the way your were blocking today, you'll be the best Slytherin player on the field!" She snickers.

"Get bent, Liz!" You shout back.

She sticks her tongue out and the other Slytherins laugh. Peter shakes his head as you all walk on. 

"No, no, she's right. I'm useless out there, complete garbage." Peter frowns.

"It's only your first practice. Don't worry about it." You smile, pulling him into an embrace. 

Michelle looks mildly uncomfortable.

"Let's just hope I don't make a fool out of myself out there." He sighs.   
_

The three of you all sit together in the common room. Around you people are talking, laughing and studying. 

Michelle sighs loudly and shuts her book with a snap and then hurls it into the fire. You and Peter look at her in surprise.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to pass the O.W.L.s  
in Defense Against the Dark Arts without any practice. That Ultron man is so...Agh!" She shouts.

She glances at you and Peter's stunned faces, "What are the pair of you looking at?! Don't you see, we've got to do something about him." 

"Oh, I figured we'd have to do something about him when I was bleeding out all over the floor, Michelle." You say sarcastically.

"Well, poison should do the trick." Peter says.

"Peter...no. That's not what I meant, I meant about his teaching style. We aren't going to learn anything in that class." Michelle groans.

I was a bit more concerned about the torture, Michelle, not the lesson plans, is what you want to say. But you bite your lip and continue to listen.

"Yeah that's true." You nod.

"Well, I figured we should just do it ourselves." Michelle says, her eyes lighting up .

"Do what ourselves?" Peter asks.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts. We'd just teach ourselves." Michelle says, proudly.

"I don't know, Michelle..." you shake you head.

Suddenly, there is a tapping sound from the window next to Peter's head, He turns and opens it and the owl deposits two letters into his hands.

The last Gryffindor in the common room leaves for bed, so the three of you are the only ones left.

Peter opens the letter, "Its from— it's from Charles Xavier, Oh," he picks up the second letter, "there's one for you too Michelle."

Michelle takes the letter, "The old Gryffindor Prefect? And head boy?"

"Well...Peter read yours." You push.

Peter nods, "Dear Mr. Parker, congratulations on becoming the one of new Gryffindor prefects. My path from such has lead me to a lavish ministry position, to which I work side by side with the Minister himself. Once I heard of this news, I realized I must give you some advice from one respecter of authority to another." Peter pauses and looks a bit shocked.

"It's likely you have been seeing quite a lot of _____ Marvel recently, and I've heard that you have established romantic ties with her. I must recommend you stop your relationship with that girl as soon as possible. She may be Strange's favorite, but Strange is not going to be in charge of Midgards for much longer. Your loyalties should lie with the Ministry of Magic, not Strange and Marvel's personality cult. Please, Mr. Parker, do not fear breaking up with Marvel. If trouble arises, go to Draven Ultron, a truly delightful man. I hope you will consider my advice to you, Mr. Parker. Don't let the unforgivable errors of Strange and Marvel lure you into destroying a perfectly good career. Charles Xavier." 

"Mine says basically the same thing..." Michelle murmurs.

Peter looks up, aghast.

You clear your throat, "Well if you want to, ah, "break romantic ties" with me, I swear I won't get violent."

Peter tears the letter in half, "He must be the worlds biggest idiot. I only even talked to him like...I don't know, once?! And I'm pretty sure it was to ask for directions to the bathroom. And he wants me to break up with you? And he thinks Ultron is delightful?! The world has gone absolutely crazy." Peter sighs and hurls the paper into the fireplace.

"Watch it, kid." A voice calls from the fireplace.

Peter gasps, startled.

"Tony?" You smile, crouching by the fire.

"Right you are. I just got your letter, thought we should talk about it in person. Or...in fire, is more like it." He cranes his neck and looks at the burning letter, "What was that?" 

"Letter from a former prefect who works for the Minister now." You frown.

"Full of garbage." Peter says, shaking his head.

"Except that he mentioned Strange won't be in charge for much longer." Michelle says.

"Can't say I'm surprised. Ross wants Strange out." Tony says.

"Why?" You ask.

"He's worried Strange is trying to turn everyone at Midgards against the Ministry." 

"Well that wouldn't explain why Ultron isn't teaching us anything useful in Defense Against the Dark Arts." Michelle points out.

"Exactly, the Ministry doesn't want you trained in combat." Tony says.

You laugh, "What does he think Strange is gonna do, raise an army?"

"Well that's exactly what he thinks Strange is gonna do." Tony nods, "I'm sorry I can't tell you guys more, I have to go. I'll make sure to write. Now quick, get out of here!" The fire flickers out.

The three of you dart upstairs into your dormitories.  
_

Michelle opens her addition of the Daily Prophet and shoots up in alarm, "I cannot believe it!" She says, slapping the paper down, nearly smacking you in the face.

You and Peter glance at her.

Peter turns his head down and starts reading the headline, "'Ministry Passes Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three: Draven Ultron Appointed Midgards High Inquisitor'?" 

He looks at you and Michelle nervously, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It says that the High Inquisitor has the power to inspect all of the teachers." Michelle says.

"You're kidding." You say in surprise.

"That's not all." Michelle raises the paper and begins to read from it, "The High Inquisitor has the power to terminate Professors as well." 

Wanda and Pietro walk by.

"So, you've seen the news?" Pietro says.

"Personally, I envy you three." Wanda murmurs, rolling her eyes.

"Uh, why's that?" Peter says nervously.

"Ultron is inspecting T'Challa in your period. Ultron won't know what hit him." Wanda looks at Pietro wistfully, "Oh, to be a youth again, to experience the innocent glee of watching Ultron be destroyed by the greatest Head of Gryffindor this century."

"Well, we're expecting a full report after." Pietro nods.

"Complete with facial expressions." Wanda agrees.

And with that they wander off.  
_

Professor Delphi stands before the class., "Greetings, my children. I sense now that many of you have already made the transition into the beyond!" 

Ultron, observing in the corner, smiles evilly.

"Today we will be continuing our interpretation of prophetic dreams. Please divide into your groups and discuss your recent night time visions while using the text as your guide."

You and Peter crack open your books, while listening to Ultron and Delphi.

"And how long have you been at this post?" Ultron asks her.

"Nearly sixteen years I've been guiding my students to see with their Inner eye." Delphi smiles.

Ultron nods and makes a note, "Now, if you'll make a prediction for me?"

Delphi seems to swell with indignation, "The Inner eye does not see upon command." 

Ultron raises his eyebrows and makes an extensive note, Delphi's face turns sour and she begins look across the room. She steps to you, and you slightly recoil.

"My dear girl, your dream diary, please." She says, sticking out a hand.

You nervously hand your diary to her, and she takes it with trembling fingers and gazes at it for only a moment. She drops it to the table and gives a little scream.

"My dear girl! These dreams are evil portends!" 

You read from the page, "Dreamt I was at breakfast eating oatmeal with Peter." You blink slowly, trying to find exactly what was so evil about eating breakfast with your boyfriend.

Delphi stares at you for a moment, while Ultron stands in the background, making more notes.

"Uh, yes, yes, oatmeal! Are you telling me you cannot see the signs? The foretell of suffering and death?"

"Uh..." You mutter.

"Perhaps you are not as in the beyond as the others." She frowns and moves from your table. 

"Well, if that's the best you can do Professor, I will be going." With that, Ultron steps out of the classroom.  
_

Leaves, now molted brown drift off the trees and onto the sidewalks of Midsmead. It's finally October. Peter yanks you along, pulling you out of your thoughts. 

"You might wanna look up, the streets a bit crowded today." Peter smiles, locking your fingers together.

You, Michelle, Peter and Ned walk down the crowed streets of Midsmead, avoiding swarms of other students.

"Uh, where exactly are we going, Michelle?" You ask.

"Yeah, where are we going?" Ned chimes in.

She ignores you both, leading everyone on confidently. She stops in front of a slightly seedy looking pub.

"There we are." Michelle nods.

"The 'Hogs Head', Michelle?" Peter says.

She leads everyone towards it, "C'mon. I'll explain in a minute."   
_

The four of you step into the pub. It's grimy and ill-lit. Shady looking witches and wizards sit uneasily in corners.

Except for one corner by the front window, which is populated by loads of familiar faces, Luke Cage, Remy LeBeau, Gwen Stacy, Wanda and Pietro, Miles Morales, Wade Wilson, James Rhodes, Gamora Titan, Peter Quill, and Pepper Potts, just to name a few. 

You look questioningly at Michelle, "Michelle, what's going on?"

She smiles brightly, "These are the people I mentioned my Defense Against the Dark Arts idea to."

Michelle sits down, you, Ned and Peter follow.

"You mean about teaching ourselves?" You ask.

"It's good to see that the swooping evil I accidentally set loose in the castle hasn't gotten to you yet, _____." Wade says.

You contort your face in confusion, "Uh, same to you, Wade." 

Michelle beats on the table to quiet everyone.

"Hey everyone, I thought it would be good if we met and talked over how we wanted to teach ourselves   
Defense Against the Dark Arts. Because we need to learn it properly, and not that garbage Ultron is teaching." Michelle pauses and takes a deep breath, "Obviously, this will help us pass our O.W.L.s, but more importantly, it gives us the ability to protect ourselves from You-...from Thanos."

Several people jump or wince in fear of the name.

Michelle takes a shuddering breath, looking exilerated. She glances at you.

"That was the first time she said his name. You smile at her achievement, and Michelle looks pleased.

"Excuse me, how do we know You-know-who's really back?" Peter Quill asks.

You tense up and turn red, "Let's just go. They all think I'm some sort of freak." You mutter to Peter and Michelle.

"Just wait." Michelle assures you.

"Strange believes he is." Wanda says.

"You mean Strange believes her." James Rhodes says, pointing to you.

"That's true, but I think we're drifting from the purpose—" Michelle says nervously.

You pull some courage from deep within, "It's okay, Michelle." 

You gaze at the crowd.

"I believe Thanos is back because I fought him last year. Strange's already told the school that. If you don't believe him, you won't believe anybody." 

There is a tense silence.

"Well...anyway...uh, I think in order to learn properly we'll need a teacher." Michelle says.

"But were all students." Ned shrugs, "None of us have the experience to—"

"Someone here does." Peter says.

Everyone looks at him, he's staring directly at you.

You look around in surprise, "Me?"

"I for one would like to know why Marvel's qualified while the rest of us aren't." An unfamiliar sixth year says.

"Well, let's see, she's only confronted You-Know-Who himself four times and lived to tell the tale." Peter says defensively.

"One of the portraits said you'd killed a Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets with that sword in Strange's office." Gwen Stacy says.

You go scarlet, "Uh, well...yeah, I did."

"Holy shit, ____." Peter Quill says.

Everyone looks at him in surprise, but then turn back to you, half of the group looking awestruck.

"Can't forget she saved the Arc Reactor from You-Know-Who her first year." Wanda chimes in.

Luke Cage And Remy LeBeau's eyes are wide in astonishment.

"And last year she got through the Tri-Wizard tournament!" Miles smiles.

There are mutters of agreement.

You clear your throat and stand, "Wait— It all sounds great when you say it like that but, the truth is most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time, and I nearly almost had help."

"She's just being modest." Michelle cuts in.

"No, Michelle, I'm not. Facing this stuff in real life is not like school, in school if you make a mistake you get to try again tomorrow, but out there...when your a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes...you don't know what that's like." You falter, and sit back down in your chair.

"That's right, _____. We don't know what that's like. That's why we need your help." Michelle says, "So all in favor of taking lessons from _____?" 

Everyone in the room raises their hand.

"Where are we going to meet?" Michelle asks.

"What about an unused classroom?" Ned suggests.

"That might work. I'll look into that." You nod.

"Okay, good." Michelle then pulls a parchment out of her bag, "I think we should put our names down so we can know who was here." 

Suddenly people look uncomfortable.

"Honestly people...you think I'd leave it lying around? Plus it's enchanted." Michelle smiles.

Everyone looks more comfortable and people start coming up and eagerly sighing the parchment.

"So what should we call ourselves?" Peter asks.

"What about the Anti-Ultron league?" Gamora suggests.

"We'll need something that doesn't give away what we're doing." Michelle says.

"I think we should be Strange's Army." Pepper says.

There is an exited agreement.

"Strange's Army it is then. S.A. for short." Michelle nods, "I'll let everyone know when we're going to meet." 

Everyone scatters outside, and for the first time in a while you feel hopeful for whatever comes next.


	34. The Lions and the Serpent

You're carrying a load of schoolbooks down the hallway to help yourself prepare for the first S.A. meeting. 

"Hey, _____!" Gamora shouts, running towards you. 

"What is it?" You ask, peering over the top of the stack of books.

"You won't believe...that Ultron man...this is too much!" 

"What's he done this time?" 

"Follow me."  
_

You and Gamora approach a large sign surrounded by murmuring students. She grabs your arm and pulls you through, the books in your arms nearly slipping.

You gaze at the parchment placed inside the wooden framed sign and read, "By order of the Midgards High Inquisitor: All student organizations, societies, teams, groups, and clubs are henceforth disbanded. Permission to reform must be approved by High Inquisitor Ultron. No student organization can exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. Any student found to be a part of an illegal organization will be expelled eminently." 

Gamora's face goes red with fury just from you reading it, "He refused to allow us to reform the Gryffindor team. We had to go to Strange to get Ultron to allow it." 

Now you're extremely angry, "Not only that, what about the S.A.?"   
_

You're pacing in front of the fireplace. Michelle lays on the couch and Peter sits by the fire, using his wand to lift paper balls into the flames and then twirl around the embers.

"This can't be a coincidence." You frown.

You glance and Peter and Michelle.

"He knows."

"He can't. There's like—" He thinks, "No way for him to know." Peter assures you.

"Look we don't know how many people could have overheard our meeting and told him." You say crossing your arms, "Or even worse, someone at the meeting could've gone to him." 

Michelle smirks, "No, they couldn't have. The parchment we all signed was enchanted, exactly like I said. No one can betray us without us knowing."

You stop pacing and nod at Michelle, "What would we do without you?"

"I dunno, die probably." Michelle says sheepishly.

Suddenly, Hegwig comes crashing in from the open window and collapses to the floor.

"Hedwig!" You cry, running to her. You gently scoop her up and cradle her in your arms, "She's hurt!"

Hedwig hoots softly.

"She doesn't look very good, you might want to take her to the Care of Magical Creatures Professor. He'll know what to do. I'll come with you." Peter says. 

You nod and you and Peter run through the portrait hole. As soon as you both step out, T'Challa comes around the corner, "Marvel, Parker!" 

You stop and turn to him.

"Where on earth are you children going tonight?" T'Challa asks.

"I— it's Hedgwig, we think she's been attacked." You stutter.

"What?" T'Challa steps closer and peers at your hurt owl, "I fear you may be right...where was she coming from?" 

"London." You nod, giving T'Challa a significant look.

"I see. Give her to me, I'll run her down to Care of Magical Creatures." 

You gently hand Hegwig to him, and he takes the owl carefully. He straightens and moves down the hall, then stops, and turns and looks at you.

"Remember, That the communication channels in and out of the school are being watched, won't you? Both of you?"

"Yes, Professor." You and Peter say in unison.

"Good, off to bed."

You and Peter turn and go back through the portrait hole, and into the common room. Michelle still sits on the couch but she's talking to Ned this time, who must've just come downstairs.

Peter smiles and does a weird handshake with Ned.

"What was that?" You ask.

"Secret handshake." Peter says. 

"It's not so secret if everyone can see it." Michelle chuckles.

"So, Ned, hear anything about a classroom we could use? Or a secret temple perhaps?" You ask.

"That's precisely the reason I wanted to talk to you guys. I know the perfect place, the Room of Requirement. You can only use the room in times of great need, whatever we need will be there for us, in this room." Ned smiles.

"That's amazing, Ned." You grin.

"I could show everyone now, if you'd like." He says.

You think, "No, we'd better not. School is pretty intense right now. We'll do it in a few months, before the holidays."   
_

Visibility is low, players are scattered everywhere around the pitch.

"...and Slytherin is up forty to ten. There goes Gamora, my love, my lady, with the quaffle!" Peter Quill announces.

She spins through the blizzard, the Slytherin beaters both try to take a swing at her, but she dodges them gracefully, she pushes forward to the Slytherin goals and hurls the quaffle. Only for it to be blocked by the Slytherin Keeper!

Peter is looking positively miserable, you pull up near him, "Don't let them get to you, ignore them."

He nods shakily.

Several Slytherins, in possession of the quaffle, bear down on the Gryffindor goals. They throw the quaffle and Peter dives, but misses.

Slytherin scores, A loud bell sounds, and the Gryffindors in the stands all give a collective loud groan.

"Wow, another ten points to Slytherin. The score is now fifty-ten in favor of Slytherin." Peter Quill says.

Liz pulls up on her broom near Peter as well, "I should thank you, Parker. You're definitely our best player." She laughs.

Just think, the snitch blasts past her face. She takes off in pursuit. You rocket after her at top speed, ignoring the bite of snow against your face.

You and Liz give chase, following the snitch at top speed, but she is still far closer to it than you are.

Then the snitch banks sharply, both you and Liz turn with it, though now you've pulled even with her. You are both inches from the snitch. You reach with all the strength you can muster.

Your hand inches out in front of Liz's and closes around the snitch. The crowd goes wild, and you straighten, triumphant.

Then suddenly, without warning, Flash emerges from the blizzard and cracks you across the head with the beaters club. You slump forward, feeling dazed, and nose dive onto the pitch and land onto the sandy bottom. There is a groan of sympathy from the crowd.

The Gryffindor team all run to you. 

"Are you alright?" Gamora asks.

Peter helps you up. 

"Bet you loved that, Marvel! Saved Parker's neck didn't you?!" Liz roars.

Everyone ignores her.

"I've never seen a worse Keeper! Maybe we should make a little song about it, about his filthy family! About his dead parents!"

The whole world seems to go silent. Peter lets go of you, stomps across the pitch to Liz, and punches her square across her face. 

Almost instantly they leap on each other and begin attacking one another, Liz lands a punch square on Peter's face and his nose begins gushing blood, you run over and try to separate the two, until  
Liz punches you in the side of your head and you go red with anger, slapping her across the face.

Flash walks over and pushes you to the ground, punching you across the jaw, Peter jumps up and leaps on Flash, hitting him again and again, you fear he might kill Flash.

"Impedimenta!" A voice shouts.

You and Peter are hit with the spell and blasted away from Liz and Flash.

T'Challa storms onto the pitch, scarf flapping wildly in the wind, "What are you two doing?!" He shouts.

You stop, blood dripping down your face from a cuts on your nose and chin. Peter looking the same, blood streaming down his face from his nose. 

T'Challa grabs you and Peter by the arms, looking terrifyingly calm, "My office. Now."  
_

You and Peter stand in front of T'Challa's desk. He sits on the other side, eerily calm.

"Never, in my fifteen years of teaching have I seen such a disgusting display." 

"Liz provoked us, she always starts these things." You growl.

"Of course she wanted to provoke you. She'd just lost. Ms. Marvel, to be honest, at this point your recklessness is to be expected, but Mr. Parker? You started that fight. I cannot express the disappointment I feel right now."

The door opens and Ultron steps in the room, smiling sickly. 

"What is it, Draven?" T'Challa says sourly.

"I thought you might need some additional authority in dealing with these two." 

"Well you thought wrong. Now please, remove yourself from my office." T'Challa says sharply. 

He turns back to you and Peter, "Now I don't care what Liz said. Your display on that pitch was shameful. Fifty points from Gryffindor, and both of you a weeks worth of detention."

"I hardly think that's an adequate punishment for this." Ultron scoffs, he holds up a parchment, "Educational Decree Twenty-Five. It gives me the High Inquisitor, the power to give punishments and privileges, and to alter those given by the staff." 

Ultron turns to you and Peter, "So, I think a life-long ban from Quidditch should do the trick for both of them. And as extra punishment for Mr. Parker for initiating that little display, you will no longer be a Gryffindor prefect. I hope you children had fun." 

You and Peter are stunned.

"Ban us...for life." You stutter.

"Yes, are you deaf, Marvel?" Ultron smiles, "I'll also be taking your brooms. Have a wonderful day." He grabs both of your brooms and walks out.

You and Peter both look at T'Challa in horror.

T'Challa looks grim, "I'm sorry...my hands are tied."  
_

"If you want to break up with me. Or break my arms. Just do it." Peter sighs, wiping at the dried blood under his nose.

"Peter. I don't blame you, honestly. I blame Elizabeth that— that-" you swear loudly. 

"You don't want to hurt me? I- I thought you loved Quidditch?" 

"I do. I really do." You grit your teeth, "But I love you more." You smile weakly, then hug him.

"It is all my fault. I should've never punched Liz. But what she said, what she's done to you, what Flash did to you on the pitch...I see so many things, so many people that can hurt you, _____. I should've never let one of them be me." 

"Peter...I know this may sound strange but, I want you to tell me about them. Your parents. If- if that's okay." You mutter, taking his hands.

He looks off, "There's something you need to know first. Me and Liz, well...I didn't always hate her. She didn't always hate me. When we were children we used to be friends. Uncle Ben used to work for the Ministry in the same department as Liz's father. You must understand, _____, Liz wasn't always so bigoted, it wasn't until her father started giving her the attention she desperately craved that she started to hate muggle-borns, then me, and then my family. That's why Liz knows about my parents. I'm sorry I never told you about their deaths. I figured I'd just make you feel...weird. But the truth is, I just don't feel the same way about my parents being gone as you do." 

"What does that mean?" You ask softly.

"To me, it's sad that my parents are gone, and they didn't deserve to die but, I'm okay that they're gone. I have May and Ben, they're like my parents. I've never needed or wanted my mom or dad back because I have May and Ben. That's why I didn't tell you. I didn't think it was that important, because you'd already met the people who raised me." 

"Peter, thank you for telling me. And I promise, I don't blame you for any of this, I love you." 

You laugh, tears streaming down your cheeks, Peter does the same. You both stand there, cry-laughing and holding each other. You swore to yourself Ultron wasn't going to break you. No matter what.   
_

The atmosphere in the common room is somber. The Gryffindor team are the only ones inside, dejected and depressed.

"I can't believe it...two players...banned for life in one day..." Gamora looks close to death.

You slump lower in your chair, "This is the worst day of my life."

"I'm horrible. I should've never joined in the first place." Peter mutters.

Michelle is staring out the window, "I know something that could cheer you two up." 

"Please Michelle, give it up." Peter groans.

"Bruce's back!" She grins.  
_

You, Peter and Michelle have taken seats around the hut, and Bruce sits a kettle of tea on the table. He looks at everyone, his face is covered in cuts and bruises.

"What happened to you?" You ask.

"I don't know if I should tell you...it's top secret." Bruce mutters.

"Come on Bruce, we're not blind." Peter grumbles.

"Was it because the giants?" Michelle asks.

There is a silence.

"We know you were looking for the giants, Bruce. Strange told us last year." You point out.

"Oh. Well, yeah. I went with Natasha, you know Madame Natasha. Took us about a month to get to their camp."

"A month?" Peter says in surprise.

"Yep. Couldn't do magic with the Ministry following us, and the giants aren't too fond of wizards. I can only imagine what they'd do if I they only found out I only was part giant because of a potion accident." Bruce chuckles.

"What? Bruce you never told us how you became part-Hulk! Tell us!" You beg.

"Yeah tell us!" Peter smiles.

"Well...alright. Its not that special of a story, really. I used to be a alchemist, I wasn't a Norman Osborn or anything special, just a plain alchemist. Then one of my potions went well...very wrong, and it changed my body, so I became half giant, but only when I wanted. But the giant me isn't really me, it's Hulk, he's his own person. After the accident, my brain wasn't the same, and nobody wanted to give me a job. Luckily, Strange is a good man and offered me the job as gamekeeper, so it's who I am now. It makes me happy as I can be. Although sometimes...I think I miss being a alchemist." 

"That's amazing Bruce. What did you even do when you found the giants anyway?" You ask.

"Well, I waited until morning and marched right in as the green guy. We brought the King of the Giants a gift, just like Strange said. Then, we sat down and had a talk. Well, they mostly listened, but there were good signs. Well, they did until that night, that's when everything went wrong. There was a coup, and then, next morning there was a new king. We went back to see what we could do with this new king, then things got even worse. Children of Thanos arrived, and the new king was happy to see them! We figured just because some of the giants were supporting You-Know-Who didn't mean all of them were. The coup drove some of the former kings supporters into some caves adjacent to the village, so me and Nat went in after them."

Peter looks awed, "You went into caves, looking for giants?" 

"We found them, and they seemed interested enough at first. Then the new king raided the caves. There weren't many survivors and many of them didn't want anything to do with us after." Bruce sighs.

"So...no giants coming?" Peter asks.

"Well, not right away at least. We brought our message, and I expect a good amount will remember it before the end comes."


	35. Death is a Hunter

You stroll into the Room of Requirement, looking at the assembled group that makes up Strange's Army. 

"Glad to see everyone could all find this place all right." You smile.

Ned turns to you, "Hey, _____, what is all this stuff?" 

Scattered around the room are many devices, like Dark Detectors, and Sneakascopes.

"It's a bunch of Defense Against the Dark Arts equipment. Hopefully we'll be able to get to all of it before the end of the term." You pace before everyone.

"But uh, you all need to understand something before we start. Defending yourself from the Dark Arts has less to do with magical ability and more to do with thinking fast and a lot of luck." You pause, "We'll be doing Expelliarmus tonight, though hopefully we can move on to other things if we have time." 

"But Summers taught us that second year." Luke says.

"Well to be fair, Summers didn't teach as much as make himself look pretty." Peter laughs.

"Yeah and besides, it works. I used it against Th—You-Know-Who last June. It saved my life." You affirm. 

Luke falls silent.

You nod, "Right. Well, let's split into pairs and give it a go."  
_

You stroll among the students, checking everyone's progress. You reach Ned and Peter, who are practicing together.

"Expelliarmus!" Ned shouts.

Peter's wand flips from his hand across the room.

"Well done, Ned!" You smile, "Never forget this spell, it could save your life one day." You look at the clock on the wall, nearly ten. Half the castle must be asleep by now. 

You move to the front of the room again, "Okay, everyone. We've done a lot today, and I've seen some great improvement. That's it for now. We'll meet here, same time next week!" 

People begin to drift out of the meeting, but you, Peter and Michelle stay behind, straightening up the room before you go to bed.  
_

You lie in bed, dreaming. Your floating along a dark corridor, inches from the floor. You approach a corridor and peer down it. Its empty.

That's when a great dog-like animal starts sprinting down the empty corridor. It slowly makes its way past many doors until, at last it reaches an open, larger door, and goes inside.

Inside the room, an invisibility cloak falls to the floor with a shimmer of silver. It's Peter's Uncle Ben. The animal is bounding towards him, Ben fires a golden jinx at the animal but missies, it pounces on him and Ben lets out a blood-curdling scream. 

You yell at the top of your lungs, your eyes tightly closed. You scream in rage and horror, your entire bed shaking and thrashing. 

The creature bites him again and again, blood splattering against the walls and floors, Ben screams again.

"______!" Someone shouts, "_____!"

Your eyes snap open, your roommates gazing at you with fear.

Michelles face goes pale with fear, "Go get T'Challa, Valkyrie, Go!"

You blink, coming back to yourself, but your whole body still burning in agony. You clutch yourself, eyes unable to focus, you roll off the bed onto the floor, writhing around in pain. 

"Marvel!" T'Challa shouts, running into the room, thrusting his candle into Valkyrie's hands. He falls to his knees next to you and tries to help you up, but when his hand touches you it burns horribly. 

You yelp loudly and he backs away, then suddenly you go limp. The pain melts from your body, and you shoot up frantically.

"T-T'Challa! Ben! Ben Parker's been attacked!" You cry.

"You dreamed this?" T'Challa asks.

"No— no! I-I saw it happen! I was...I was there." 

"You're sure this happened?" T'Challa nods.

"Yes! We've got to do something, he could die!" You shout.

"We're going to see the Headmaster." T'Challa says.  
_

T'Challa opens the door to Strange's office and leads you inside. 

Strange looks up from his desk, "Professor T'Challa and...ah..."

Strange does not look at you, or even acknowledge your presence.

"What can I do for you?" He asks.

T'Challa motions to you, "Ms. Marvel has had some sort of nightmare..." 

"It wasn't a nightmare! Well, I was asleep, but it wasn't a normal dream. It was...well, real. I saw   
well— Ben Parker has been attack by some sort of giant dog."

Strange suddenly looks worried, "How did you see this? How were positioned when you saw it?"

"Oh. Uh...I was the dog. I saw it from the dogs perspective." You mutter.

"Is Benjamin seriously injured?" Strange asks.

"Yes. I'm...I'm afraid he...may have..." you stop.

"We'll need to raise the alarm, Peter Parker will need to be awoken."

T'Challa nods and departs.

Strange takes a black pot and taps it with his wand, "Portus."

Moments later T'Challa returns with Peter in tow.

"_____, what's happening—" he begins to ask.

"Your uncle has been injured in the course of his work for the Order. He's at Realms Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries." Strange picks up the pot he'd just enchanted, "We however, are going to Tony's house until morning." 

A flash of flames appears over Fawkes' perch. A single feather floats to the ground.

Strange picks it up, "Fawkes's warning. Ultron knows your out of bed. T'Challa, head him off. Tell him anything you can think of."

T'Challa departs again.

"We will be going by Portkey." Strange grabs the pot and you and Peter follow, vanishing.  
_

You reappear in the kitchen of Tony's house, Tony hurries in. 

"There you are." Tony looks to Strange, but he had already disapperated.

"We've got to go to the hospital." Peter demands.

"No, you can't." Tony says, shaking his head.

"Well then I'll go by myself." Peter retorts.

"We can't go yet. It would look suspicious if everyone showed up fifteen minutes after Benjamin arrives because _____'s been seeing visions of things happening hundreds of miles from Midgards."

Peter's face becomes heavy with fear, "That's my Uncle out there dying."

Tony's face falls, "I'm sorry, kid. I can't let you leave."

"You don't even care! You wouldn't understand." Peter shouts.

"I was apart of the first Order. I lost my best friends to You-Know-Who." Tony's eyes flick to you, "She's all I have left of them. Believe me, I don't want Ben to die." Tony pauses, "but there are some things worth dying for!"

Peter looks very much cowed by the haunted look in Tony's eyes. Finally, Peter sinks into a chair and puts his head in his hands.

You are not sure what to do, part of you wants to comfort him but the other part knows he needs space, you touch your face and wipe away the tears you didn't even know you had, and sit away from him, by yourself.  
_

Peter lays slumped in a chair, silent. The front door opens and Aunt May bustles in.

Peter shoots up with a start, "May!"

He hugs his Aunt in the entry hall, you stand back watching them reunite. May holds Peters face in her hands, her eyes red and sunken.

She sniffs, and shakes her head.

"He— he didn't make it."

Peter falls to his knees, and begins to sob silent tears. May lowers and holds him, the both of them crying together. 

You stand in the background, looking on, not wanting to be an intruder to their grief. You turn away, and slide down the wall, sitting, listening to Peter's heart-wrenching sobs.  
_

You place down several plates onto the table and look at Tony. 

"Tony I—" you stop, contemplating your next words.

Tony looks at you, "You can tell me, _____."

"When I saw the attack, well, I was the creature. I felt it's teeth like they were mine, saw through it's eyes like they were mine..."

Tony looks concerned.

"I think I might be going crazy." You sigh.

There is a horrible silence, Tony looks only slightly uncomfortable, but he's doing a good job to hide it.

"No, you're fine. I bet you're just tired, you had a rough night. So did Peter and May. Would you mind seeing if the want anything to eat?"

"Oh...I suppose I could." 

You walk upstairs and knock on Mays door, "Um, May, Tony wants to know if you'd like anything to eat?" 

She sniffles, it's muffled through the door, "Oh, I'm f-fine, thank you." 

You frown, "Okay, tell me if you need anything.  
Anything at all." 

She doesn't respond.

You sigh and walk to Peter's room, you take a deep breath and gently knock on the door. Silence.

"Pete?" You whisper. 

Nothing. You knock again, still no response. 

You gently open the door, Peter is laying on his bed, facing away from you. You close the door and lay down next to him, pressing your forehead onto the back of his neck, and place your arm around his waste. He's asleep, so words are no use. You hope he's having good dreams. 

I'm so sorry, Peter. If I just would've been quicker.   
_

After staying with Peter for an hour, you'd made your mind up. Being careful not to wake him, you get out of his bed, walk to your room and begin to pack your things determinedly.

A portrait on the wall of an old Midgards headmaster glances at you, "Running away, are we?" 

"I have to." You huff.

The portrait chuckles, "You know, I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave."

"I won't hurt anyone else. Especially not the person I love." 

"I see. You are running out of nobility. You know, that's why I hated teaching. Young people always think they know what's best, as if no one else could possibly understand things better." 

You open the window and move towards it, leaning out, "Have you been in my room all this time?"

"No, I only come when I have messages from Strange. And I have one now, he says, 'Stay where you are.'" 

"That's it?" You say angrily, "Stay here while the grow-ups sort everything out?" 

"When in all your life has listening to Strange ever led you into trouble? Whatever his reasons, he had your best interest at heart, Marvel." The man moves off the portrait frame and vanishes.

"Fine! Go! And tell Strange thanks for nothing!" You shout, tipping your trunk in anger then sitting on your bed. 

There is a knock at the door, and Penni walks in, looking determined.

"Get out." You demand.

"No." 

"Penni, I'm dangerous. You can't be around me." 

"Did you forget that I've been possessed by You-Know-Who before?" 

You fall silent, feeling cowed, "I- I forgot." 

"Lucky you. Anyway, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You remember everything you've done this year? There aren't any blank spots in your memory?" 

You shake your head, "Uh, no I don't think so."

"Then You-Know-Who has never possessed you, _____." She sits down on the bed next to you. 

"I don't know what's going on with your right now, but possession's not one of them. You're not dangerous." 

"Thanks, Penni. I'm sorry about everything that happened with Ben, I really am." You nod.

"Don't mention it. As for Ben, he was a good man. It was just his time, but I don't know how Peter's gonna take it from here. Take good care of him, will you?" She asks.

You nod deeply.  
_

You wander into the kitchen and open the refrigerator, then Tony enters.

"_____, have you seen Jarvis? I haven't seen him for days now."

You think then shrug, "No, haven't seen him."

Tony shakes his head, "Oh well. Maybe he crawled into one of the air ducts and died...can't get my hopes up though."

The back door is shoved open and Professor Laufeyson enters. 

He turns to you, "Marvel, excellent. I'd like a word."

He marches over to the table and sits, "Sit down, Marvel."

"You know, I don't like people giving orders in my house." Tony says.

"How unfortunate for you. Now if you would kindly remove yourself from the room. My instructions from Strange are to talk to Marvel alone." 

"I don't think I will leave, Loki. I am her godfather, after all." 

Laufeyson rolls his eyes, "Very well, Marvel it is the Headmaster's wish that I teach you Occlumency."

"What's that?" You ask.

Laufeyson sneers, "Occlumency. It is an ancient form of magic that allows you to defend your mind from external intrusion. Our first lesson will be at six o'clock on Monday, and please do not bring Mr. Parker with you. The two of you do not need to follow each other around like lost puppies wherever you go." 

You blush fiercely and Laufeyson sweeps to the backdoor and leaves.  
_

You and Peter are at Midgards, walking down the hall together to your next class. Ways to make Peter feel better or lighten the mood wrack your brain. 

"Hey, Peter?" You glance at him, he's staring off into the distance, his eyes flick to you.

"Mmhmm?"

"Well, Valentine's Day is the same day as our next Midsmead visit."

"Oh. It is? Thats nice." He murmurs.

"Well, uh, would you like to, you know, go with me? Please, I promise we can leave early, I just... I just wanna spend some time with you." 

"Well...I guess it wouldn't hurt." Peter shrugs half-heartedly.   
_

You enter Laufeyson's office. He sits behind his desk, next to a bubbling cauldron. 

"Sit, Marvel." He snaps.

You take a seat.

"As you are aware, I will be teaching you Occlumency. The Headmaster feels you should learn this form of magic to defend yourself against the Mad Titan, who is skilled at Legilimency."

"Uh, what's that Professor?"

"Legilimency is the ability to extract thoughts and feelings from others."

You look at him in surprise, "Thanos can read minds?"

Laufeyson rolls his eyes, "As usual, you have the subtlety of a stone wall, Marvel. The mind is not a book in which any page can be examined. The mind is complex and multi-layered." 

"So could he read our minds right now?" You ask.

"Eye contact is normally required for Legilimency to work. In your case however, things are somewhat different. Your scar has forged a connection between you and the Mad Titan." He pauses, "When your mind is most relaxed, such as during sleep, you receive Thanos' thoughts and feelings. The Headmaster believes it is inadvisable for this to continue."

"But, hasn't it helped so far? We would've never known about Ben if I hadn't said anything, right?"

"Yes, but at the expense of our advantage. The connection between you two was so powerful durning your vision of the Chitauri that Thanos became aware of it. The Headmaster believes he may use this to manipulate you." 

"Chitauri? Was that the thing that killed Ben?" You ask.

"Unfortunately yes. Thanos uses magical beasts to do his bidding at times, it so happens the Chitauri is his favorite. Now, wand out, Marvel." Laufeyson takes out his wand and points it at you, "You may use any spell you can think of to try and repel me." 

"What are you going to do?" You ask, drawing your wand.

"I am going to break into your mind, Legimens!" 

The spell hits you, and you stagger backwards, memories flashing through your brain.

You sitting under the Sorting Hat. You standing over Tony, a patronus hovering over him as hundreds of Dementors swarm overhead. 

Your face is contorted with rage, "NO!"

A spell fires from your wand, Laufeyson dodges it. Gasping, you fall to your knees. 

"Well, you stopped me. Ideally, you should repel me with your mind." Laufeyson says.

You climb to your feet. 

"Clear your mind, Marvel. Abandon your emotions. Legimens!"

You stagger again, more memories flashing before you.

Uncle Odin nailing the letterbox closed. Meeting Peter and Michelle. You glancing down the dark passageway after your hearing, you tell Peggy you'd been there, but she hurries you along.

Laufeyson lowers his wand, breaking the spell, "What was that?" 

You feel stunned, "I've just realized." 

Laufeyson is staring at you, agitated, "Realized what, Marvel?"

You look at him suddenly, "What's in the Department Of Mysteries, sir?"

There is a stunned silence, Laufeyson regards you with suspicion.

"What did you say?"

"That corridor, I've been dreaming about it for months...it leads to the Department of Mysteries, I'm sure of it."

Laufeyson comes around his desk, he is deathly quiet, always a bad sign. 

"There are many things in the Department of Mysteries, Marvel, none of which concern you." 

There is a horrifying scream that echos through the castle. You and Laufeyson stare at the ceiling, the screaming coming from above. Laufeyson glances at you, then hefts his wand and sweeps from the office, you follow.  
_

There is a huge crowd of students standing at the top of the stairs leading down into the entry hall. 

There is another unearthly wail. 

You push through the crowd until you can see, Professor Delphi stands at the bottom of the stairs, looking crazed and turning in circles, her wand out and clutched in her hand. 

"You cannot fire me!" Delphi shrieks.

"I can do whatever I wish." Ultron smirks.

"This is my home!" She sobs.

Ultron grins evilly, "Not any more." He points at the door with a slim finger, "Now remove yourself from this castle."

"She will not be leaving." A voice commands, it's Strange.

Behind Ultron, the crowd parts to make way for him.

"I have the authority, Headmaster." Ultron says sternly.

"Oh, I agree with you, Professor Ultron. You do have the power to dismiss my teachers, however you do not have the power to banish them from the grounds. Professor T'Challa will you please escort Professor Delphi back inside please?" 

T'Challa walks out of the crowd towards Delphi, silently consoling her. Ultron is thunderstruck.

Strange turns to the students, "Now all of you, dismiss yourselves." 

Everyone gives a collective groan and continues on.


	36. Sneak

The sun rises over Midgards as you and Michelle stroll down the main street of Midsmead. You spot Peter approaching in the distance.

Michelle sighs and looks sour for a moment but it quickly disappears, "Have fun, _____. Meet me in the Three Broomsticks after. There's something you need to do." 

"Ok." You nod, then quickly run up to Peter, your heart fluttering.  
_

You and Peter sit opposite each other at a small table inside the tea shop. Valentine's Day decorations accost the eyes at every turn.

"I'm glad you were up to coming, Peter. I've missed you so much. But I totally understand you need space, I-I uh, get what you're going through." You smile, slightly uncomfortable, unaccustomed to dealing with emotions. You glance away, and spot several couples kissing, then you avert your eyes back to Peter.

"I-I've been meaning to ask you...but...did Ben say anything before— before he d-died?" Peter mutters sadly.

"Oh...uh, no. There wasn't really much time..." 

Peter begins tearing up, and you try to console him. 

"Look, maybe we should talk about something else?" You suggest. 

"I thought you'd want to talk about it, I thought you'd understand!" Peter shoots up and the table rattles. The tea shop has gone deathly still, everyone watches you.

"I'm—" Peter glances around anxiously, "I'll just...see you around, _____." He sniffs then walks out, and you run after him.

You stagger around in the rain, looking frantically for him, but he's disappeared. Getting drenched by the rain, you give up and slowly make your way to the Three Broomsticks.   
_

You enter the Three Broomsticks and spot Michelle. She's sitting in a booth with Wade Wilson and Jessica Jones the reporter.

You sit down, "What's this all about?"

"That's what Little Miss Perfect was about to tell us." Jessica Jones says sourly.

You glance at Michelle. 

"Right, well, I figured with all of the negative press about _____, she should have a chance to defend herself." Michelle pauses, "All the details, everything that happened last summer, the truth about Tony Stark and Thanos. Not to mention the names of all the Children of Thanos still on the loose."

Jessica leans across the table, "The Prophet will never publish that. It goes against the public mood."

"It doesn't matter. We've found a publisher for the article." Michelle nods.

"Who?" Jessica asks.

Wade looks away from the window and smirks, "My father. He's the editor of The Butler." 

Rita bursts out laughing, "The Butler? You think people will take _____ Marvel seriously if she's published in The Butler? It's nothing but a conspiracy theory, cock-and-bull story tabloid!" 

You shake your head in worry.

"Ah, it's true, some won't believe _____. But every person we convince is one more ally." Michelle says smoothly.

Jessica shrugs and pulls her quill from her bag.

"So, _____. Ready to tell the public the truth?" Michelle grins.

"Yeah, I guess so." You sulk, thinking about Peter.

Michelle sits back and sips her drink, "Fire away, Jessica."  
_

You glance out the window, the snow had melted and spring had finally arrived. You, Michelle and Peter sit at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast. 

An owl swoops past and drops a letter on your plate. Michelle snatches it and rips it open, revealing a copy of the The Butler. Your smiling face grins at everyone from the front cover.

"Oh look, _____. It's your article!" Michelle grins.

Then, a dozen more owls dump letters on you. You cover your head as they rain down on you. 

"What on earth?" You gasp.

Michelle beams at you, "Fan mail, ____! Responses to the article." 

"What article would that be?" A chillingly unpleasant voice asks. Ultron.

"Oh, the usual. I've just published an article telling the real story of what happened last June." You shrug.

Ultron instantly turns an ugly shade of purple, "And where is this article?" 

Michelle hands him a copy of The Butler. 

"Right, I will confiscate this. Anyone found in possession of this magazine will be expelled." Ultron says sourly, he stalks off.

Michelle giggles mischievously.

"What?" You ask.

"He's done it to himself. Banning the article will only make people want to read it more!" 

"Michelle you're becoming more of a trickster everyday. I'm not sure if I should be proud or scared." You shutter.  
_

You stand before the S.A. again, "We've been doing so well, I thought we'd work on some defensive blocking spells tonight." 

Wands wave and spells fly through the air, and you pace through the students.

"That was really good." You smile to a first-year.

"_____! _____!" Miles shouts frantically from behind you. You turn around, he looks absolutely horror stricken.

"What is it?" You ask.

"Ultron he— Ultrons coming, he knows!!" Miles blurts out.

You open the door with a wave of your wand, "Everyone, get out of here! Now!" 

There is a mad rush to the door, Peter turns to you, "Come on!"

"I'm going to make sure everyone gets out, go!" 

"I don't want to leave you!" He says quickly.

"I'll be fine, go! I'm going to be right behind you!"  
_

You pelt up a hallway, running desperately. Then as quick as lightning, you're suddenly hit in the back with a spell and you crash to the ground.

Liz leaps out from behind a statue, "Got you, Marvel. Over here, Professor, I've got one!" 

Ultron hurries over, "Its her. Well done Elizabeth." He turns to you, "On your feet, Marvel. We're going to see the Headmaster." 

He turns to Liz, "Search everywhere for the others, Elizabeth. Round them up, check everywhere, bathrooms the library, empty classrooms. We must find them!" 

Liz nods and hurries off.

Please be safe, Peter. Please be safe, S.A.  
_

Ultron shoves you into Strange's office, which is filled with people. T'Challa, Thaddeus Ross, two Auror's, and the familiar face of Charles Xavier.

"You may be High Inquisitor of this school Professor Ultron, but please do not manhandle my students." Strange says sternly.

Minister of Magic, Thaddeus Ross looks pleased, he claps and then rubs his hands together excitedly, "Well, Well, Ms. Marvel. I expect you know why you're here?" 

You glance at Strange. The Headmaster shakes his head, ever so slightly.

"Not really, no." You say nonchalantly.

Ross' face falls, "You don't? You haven't broken any school rules?"

"School Rules?" You pause and think, laying it on thick, "Ah, no."

"Or Ministerial Decrees?"

You shrug, "No. Not that I know of." 

Not that you really paid any attention to Ministerial Decrees anyway.

Ultron opens the door again, leading in Gwen Stacy, Miles' girlfriend, into the room. She has red tear streaks down her face and her forehead is covered in pimples that form the word 'SNEAK.' 

Ultron sighs, "I'm afraid the poor girl is unable to speak. But I however, shall tell you what has transpired. Shortly after dinner she came to me and said that if I went to the Room of Requirement I would find an illegally-formed student group. It was at this time that the hex took affect." He gestures to Gwen's face, "Since I had received information some time ago that Marvel and a number of other students had met in one of the pubs in Midsmead to start an illegal group—" 

"I'm not sure that's true, Professor." Strange interrupts.

"I'm sorry?" Ultron pauses.

"Just to be factual, when young Marvel met those students it was not illegal." Strange says.

"But two days later Educational Decree Twenty-Four was introduced." Ultron says.

"Again, quite correct. However, I wonder If you have any evidence that the group has been meeting since then?" Strange asks.

"I have a witness right here!" Ultron says shrilly.

"Correct again. I must confess that I was, however, under the impression that Ms. Stacy only told you a meeting was going on tonight." 

"Well, let's ask her." Ultron turns to Gwen, who is staring at a wall. "You can shake your head to answer. Now, have there been anymore meetings?" 

Slowly, still starring at the wall, Gwen shakes her head.

"What do you mean?" Ultron asks.

"I think she's saying there were no other meetings, is that correct?" Strange questions.

Gwen nods.

Ultron looks taken aback, "But what about, Marvel? She is their leader, and has been—" 

To Ultron's astonishment, Gwen is shaking her head no yet again.

"Why are you shaking your head?" Ultron says angrily. 

T'Challa rolls his eyes, "It usually means 'no,' Draven."

"Well what about the meeting tonight?" Ross asks.

"Oh well of course, we proceeded down to the Room and entered. We caught Marvel just outside. But it doesn't matter, we've found all of their names." Ultron pulls a parchment out of his pocket, you gasp in horror, it's the roster list Michelle had made. 

Ross gasps at it as well, snatching it out of Ultron's hands. He looks up, an expression of twisted delight on his face, "So Strange you're behind the whole thing." 

He hands the paper to Strange who seems at a loss for words, "Strange's Army." Ross harshly whispers.

Strange smiles pleasantly and spreads his hands widely, "Well Minister, it seems you've caught me." 

"This has been all your doing! Recruiting students into your army!" Ross shouts.

"Quite correct, Thaddeus." Strange nods.

"I KNEW it! You've been plotting against me all this time!" 

"That's right." Strange says pleasantly.

"This is too good to be true." Ross laughs madly.

"Professor, no!" You shout at Strange.

"Quiet, ____!" Strange hushes.

"Yes, shut up, Marvel." Ross turns to Strange, " So you'll be coming with us to the Ministry—" 

"Ah yes, I was wondering when we'd hit that little snag." Strange chuckles.

"I see no snag, Strange." Ross frowns.

"Oh, but I do. You seem to be laboring under the delusion that I would, how do you say, 'come quietly.'"

"Resisting arrest, now are we, Strange?" Ross growls.

"Precisely. You see, I have absolutely no intention of going to Azkaban."

"You really want to take on two Aurors, Draven, and myself?" Ross asks him.

"Naturally. All of you did rather well at your spell-work in school, but if you attempt to take me by force I shall have to hurt you." 

In one motion, all of them draw their wands. You dive for cover. Luckily, Strange is the fastest. There is a flash of blinding light as spells shoot in all directions. There is a loud blast, a shout, some scuffling of feet and then silence.

You look up, Strange moves towards you, T'Challa and Gwen. Everyone else was laying on the floor, knocked out. 

"Are you alright?" Strange asks.

"We're fine," T'Challa answers, "But where will you go, Stephen?" 

"I'm going into hiding. Ross will soon regret removing me from Midgards." 

You rush to Strange's side, "I'm so sorry, Professor!" 

Strange smiles at you, "It's alright, ____. Now listen to me, keep studying Occlumency! Do everything Professor Laufeyson tells you to." He grips your shoulder, "Close your mind! Keep your friends close. You will understand _____, in time."

Ross begins stirring.

"Quick, lay back down. They must not think we had time to talk." Strange demands. 

You all nod and Strange moves to Fawkes, and grabs onto his tail and vanishes in a flash of fire. Ross and everyone else shoot up. 

"Find him!" Ross shrieks.

T'Challa looks grim and ushers you and Gwen out of the office.  
_

You sit next to Peter and Michelle in the Great Hall.

Ultron rises from the staff table and holds up a parchment, "By order of the Ministry of Magic: Draven Ultron will replace Stephen Strange as head of Midgards School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He glances over everyone smugly, "And with that my first act as Headmaster is to form an Inquisitional Squad, lead by Elizabeth Allen. They will report directly to me about what is happening around the school."   
_

You, Michelle and Peter head towards the Midgards grounds, Michelle is carrying a large bag filled to the brim with books. 

"Michelle, are you sure you can't come? Bruce said it was important." You ask.

"Nope. I have very important business to attend to. I'll see you guys at dinner?" She says.

"Yeah sure." You nod, and part ways.  
_

You, Peter and Bruce march through the Forbidden Forest. 

"Bruce...we've been walking for a good hour." Peter huffs.

"Don't worry, it's just up ahead." Bruce answers. 

"Bruce, could you please tell us where we're going?" You beg.

"Okay, Okay. Alright, well, I'm only showing you this because Ultron put me on probation. I can't last much longer before I get fired like Delphi."

"We won't let him." Peter says defensively. 

"It's okay, it's not the end of the world. If I do, I'll just help Strange. Anyway, I wouldn't tell you except for the fact I can't leave without making arrangements, I'll need all your help." Bruce looks to you and Peter.

"Of course we'll help!" You and Peter say in unison.

"I knew you'd say yes." Bruce smiles and glances at the both of you, "Be really quiet from here on out." 

Everyone creeps down a path until Bruce straightens and smiles, "Here we are."

There is a huge body laying on the ground before you, a giant! 

"Bruce, I- I thought none of them wanted to come!" You say in bewilderment.

Bruce looks uncomfortable, "None of them did, _____. But I don't have much choice in the matter, he was the weakest and they would've killed him. Strange told me to bring him here, train him a bit, teach him some manners."

You feel distraught and Peter looks nervous, you reach for each others hands, squeezing tightly. 

"Uh, here I'll introduce you." Bruce nods, and tosses a rock at the giant, it bounces off his head. 

The giant awakes and slowly stands to its fifteen foot height. 

"Are you alright, Skaar?" Bruce asks the giant.

Skaar gives a low roar. 

"Listen, Skaar. I brought you two new friends, this is ______ Marvel, see? And this is Peter Parker." Bruce smiles.

Skaar stop roaring and simply looks at the pair of you, then reaches toward you, as if to pick you up. Peter snatches you by waist, lifts you up, and moves away from the giant. 

"No Skaar! We do not pick up our friends!" Bruce says sternly.

"You won't hurt her." Peter says angrily. 

You blush, "Hey, Peter? Can you put me down?"

"Oh! S-sorry." Peter says, placing you back on the ground. You wrap your arms around his torso, and he continues to hold you protectively.

"Sorry about that, all I'll need you to do is talk to him every once in a while, give him some company. Think you guys are up to that?" Bruce asks.

"Anything for you, Bruce." You nod.  
_

You sit with Peter in the grass, looking over the grounds. 

You turn to him, "Peter, we never got to properly talk about what happened. I-I just wanted to say, I'm so, so sorry. If I would've been quicker maybe—" 

"Don't. Just...don't. It's not your fault. I wanted to be angry at you, but the second I tried I felt so guilty, because it's not your fault. I'm sorry for what I said on Valentine's Day, I know you just wanted to cheer me up. I just wanted someone to blame, but that's the thing, there actually is someone to blame. It's Thanos. I'm going to find him, and then— and then I'm going to kill him." Peter says furiously.

There is an uncomfortable silence.

"Pete, it sounds great and brave when you put it like that, but...Thanos is an extremely powerful wizard. The times I've faced him, I've barely escaped with my life, sometimes I wonder if Strange could even kill him. I don't want to lose you, Peter. And I know your angry, but just promise me— promise me you won't do anything stupid." 

He thinks for a long moment, "I...I promise. I don't want to hurt you _____, I don't want you to ever get hurt again for the rest of your life."

"As long as I have you, Peter, I don't think I'll even care if I get hurt again. As long as your okay." You smile. 

He places his hand on your cheek and kisses you gently.   
_

You enter T'Challa's office, he sits behind his desk, and Ultron sits in the corner with a notepad.

"Please sit, Marvel." T'Challa gestures to the seat in front of his desk.

You sit.

"You're here to have a talk with me about your career thoughts. We do this so we can aim your courses over the next two years to prepare you for that career." T'Challa says. 

"Oh, yeah. Well, I did think about being an Auror, I suppose." You shrug.

"Auror. Interesting. You'll need top grades for that. Challenging career path, but not unrewarding." T'Challa nods, and writes down some words on a sheet before him.

"Heh hem." Ultron peeps from the back. 

"Now then, you'll need to concentrate on Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration and Charms and adequately prepare yourself for general Auror requirements."

"Heh hem." Ultron peeps again. 

T'Challa looks supremely annoyed, "May I offer you a cough drop, Draven?" 

"Oh, no thank you. Actually I was just wondering if Marvel has the proper temperament to be an Auror." He raises an eyebrow. 

"Were you indeed." T'Challa says, turning back to you, "If you're serious in this ambition, I would recommend concentrating on bringing your Potions and Charms grades up before your O.W.L.s. I daresay you've got enough time to apply yourself. Lord knows you've consistently done well in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Rogers—"

"Excuse me." Ultron chimes in, "Have you seen Marvel's current grade in my class?" 

"Yes, I have." T'Challa nods.

"Then I think you'll find that Marvel's grades have been consistently poor this year." Ultron says smugly. 

T'Challa thinks, then nods slowly, "Ah, I think you misunderstand me. I meant that Marvel has done well in every Defense Against the Dark Arts class taught by a competent teacher." 

T'Challa turns back to you briskly. Ultron looks as if he cannot believe his ears, then he flips to a page on his notepad and scribbles furiously. 

"Now, assuming you've passed all your necessary classes, the Ministry will put you through a number of character and aptitude tests." 

"What's involved in them?" You ask.

T'Challa thinks, "How you stand up under pressure, your perseverance and dedication. Things of that nature." 

Ultron stands up abruptly, "_____ Marvel has no chance of ever becoming an Auror!"

T'Challa stands up as well, his eyes locked with yours, "I will assist you in becoming an Auror if it is the very last thing I do, Marvel! I will coach you nightly in order to receive the necessary grades!" 

Ultron stands up and storms out of the room. 

T'Challa turns to you, "This concludes our meeting, _____. And because I know your going to ask, I think you'll find Mr.Parker is going down a similar career path as yourself, unless he goes down the photography route."

"Oh, well thanks Professor." You grin.

"You're welcome, Marvel. Now hurry or you'll be late for Occlumency."


	37. People of the Past

You sit down in front of Laufeyson's desk. 

"Have you been practicing, Marvel?" He sneers.

"Yeah." You nod.

"Well, we shall see, won't we?" He places his wand-tip to his head and a thin silver strand comes out, he then walks to a cabinet and opens the door, revealing a hidden pensive, and places the memory inside. 

Suddenly, Liz Allen walks in. 

"Excuse me, Professor. Professor Ultron says he needs you right away." She says.

"What on earth for?"

Liz looks embarrassed, "Well, sir, remember when the raccoon, Rocket, from the transfiguration classroom vanished over Christmas? Ultron said he's turned up in a toilet on the forth floor..." 

Laufeyson rolls his eyes, "Any idea how he got there?"

"I'm not sure...I think It's something to do with a vanishing uh, closet?" 

Laufeyson stands irritably, "We will pick up your remedial potions lesson tomorrow, Marvel." 

Liz sniggers, and the two of them leave.

You look around for a moment, then stand and stare at the pensive, transfixed. You glance at the door, nothing. You plunge your head inside.  
_

You are suddenly transported to the Black Lake. Under a tree next to you sits a young Steve, and a girl you recognize to be your mother. She is playing with a snitch, letting it go and tossing it up, and catching it again.

A yelp comes from behind you, and you turn. It's a young Professor Laufeyson, he's dangling in the air and a boy below holds his wand, taunting him from below. They boy, he's familiar, it's...your father. 

Your father turns to all the bystanders, "And now what you've been waiting for—" 

"______, please stop!" A voice shouts, you turn, it's your mother.

"Carol, this is awfully funny considering the things he's said to you." Your father laughs. 

"It's just a word— what your doing to him doesn't make it right, just leave him alone!" She shouts once more.

You dad shrugs and gestures with his wand, Laufeyson falls to the ground, and launches for his wand, but Tony pops out of nowhere and hexes him.

"Locamotor mortis!" Tony shouts.

Carol drawer her wand, "Tony stop! I said, leave him alone!" 

Your father turns slowly and regards her, the playful expression on his face has now vanished, "Carol I'm doing this for you—" 

"FOR ME? LET HIM GO!" Your mother roars.

"Fine!" Your father shouts, he mutters the counter-curse and him and Tony stand over Laufeyson.

"Your lucky Carol takes pity on you, Loki." Your father says. 

"It doesn't matter, I've told you I don't need help from a mud-blood like her." Loki growls.

Your fathers eyes blaze with anger, he points his wand, which is shaking with rage, at Laufeyson, "I thought you'd learned your lesson. Apologize to her! NOW!" 

Your mother looks sick to her stomach, "Don't make him apologize. Honestly you're as bad as he is." 

"I would never call you that!" Your father says sincerely. 

Your mother shakes her head, "You both make me sick." She turns and walks away.

"Carol! Hey Carol!" You father shouts, chasing after her. 

You watch her leave, you feels someone grab your shoulder roughly and turn, it's the adult Laufeyson. There is a flash of light and you are out of the memory, back in Laufeyson's office.

Laufeyson is livid with rage, his lips thin, his whole body shaking, "Having fun, Marvel?"

You shake your head, but Laufeyson shakes you roughly, fury etched in every feature. 

"Been enjoying yourself?" He yells.

"No!" You, shake your head roughly.

"Amusing man, your father..." Laufeyson says hatefully.

"I— sorry!" You cry, he throws you against a potions cabinet and glass bottles fall and shatter around you.

He points a shaking finger at you, "You will repeat what you saw to no one!"

You're already shaking your head, "No, of course not!"

He picks up a jar and hurls it near your head, it shatters against the wall and splashes all over your robes, and cuts your face.

"You will never mention this to anyone! Get out of my office, and never come in here again!" 

You leap up and run out of the door.  
_

It is late at night, and you and Peter are on top of the Astronomy Tower, making out, not doing your Astronomy homework like you had planned. 

Suddenly you hear the door to the castle open below you Peter stops kissing you and glances down toward the courtyard, you do the same. Six shadows spill forward in the darkness. 

"Hey, that's Ultron down there!" Peter says.

You flood with panic, "They're heading for Bruce's."

You and Peter exchange a nervous glance. You watch the silhouettes of six people walk to Bruce's and bust the doors down, yellow spells flash from within and Bruce comes stumbling out of the hut, his form going from large to small. 

The door to the castle opens once more, T'Challa is storming into the night, fury etched into his strong features. Peter points to him.

"Look, T'Challa is going to sort this out." Peter nods.

You smile hopefully.

Then, red light flashes across the sky, T'Challa's silloutte is thrown five feet backwards and he lies on the ground, he does not move.

You and Peter look at each other in horror and dart down the stairs to grounds.   
_

You and Peter carry T'Challa into the hospital wing, and Madam Khan instantly takes him and scoops him away, shooing you both off to bed.

"So much for a quiet night." Peter mutters.

"Ultron...he must be responsible for this." You growl.

"It has to be him..." Peter glances at your face, like he's noticing something, "How'd you'd get that cut on your cheek?"

Your mind flashes back to Professor Laufeyson, "Must've...scratched myself in my sleep?" You lie.

"Mmm. You are very bad at lying." Peter smiles.

"It's kinda weird, I don't really want to talk about it." You grimace.

"That's alright. I'm sure Michelle somehow knows."

You chuckle and think for a moment, "I'm going to be honest, I really can't imagine the two of you together." 

Peter looks a bit caught off guard, "I don't know, I've never really thought about it, why?" 

"Well, you're kind, a bit nerdy, and good-natured. You're an optimist, and you seem to try to find the good in others, even people like Liz Allen. Michelle is...just about the complete opposite. She's a bit rude at times, distant. I don't know, maybe I'm just pissed off about the things she's said to me about you. Maybe I'm just mad that she loves you. And I know I don't need to worry...I just...am afraid." You mutter.

"I love you, _____, so don't be afraid."

"I love you too, Peter. But the things I'm afraid of, I'm not sure you can protect me from."  
_

You sit in the Great Hall, scribbling away on your exam, nearly done. A sharp pain shoots through your skull, you wince and touch your scar. You blink quickly and shake your head, bending over your paper once more. 

Again your scar twinges, you wince and close your eyes, and the Great Hall fades away. You're in the Department of Mysteries again, you move down towards the door at the end of the hallway, the same white light glows around it's edges like it does in your dreams...

You pause before it, and then test the handle. It opens. 

The light swallows you.

It dies abruptly, you stand in a huge room filled floor to ceiling with shelves. On each shelf there are many tiny silver orbs. 

There is a figure ahead, he steps into the light. It's him, Thanos. He stands, grinning coldly to a man on the floor.

"Can you reach it? Can you take it for me, Stark?"

Tony, surrounded by Children of Thanos, glares defiantly at him, "I would rather die!"

Thanos raises his wand and Tony screams in agony, writhing on the floor of the dark chamber.

"You will die, eventually. But there are hours off suffering before that day will arrive. Stark, you have my respect, I hope the wizarding world remembers you." Thanos releases Tony, who slumps to the ground, gasping for air, "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this. Soon enough I will have the weapon. Destiny shall arrive. Or should I say, I will." 

The room dissolves around you.  
_

You fall out of your seat, clutching your scar in agony. 

Professor Pym hurries to your side, pulling you to your feet and escorting you out of the Great Hall. 

Professor Pym looks at you with concern, "Are you alright, _____?" 

You shake your head, sweat beading up on your forehead.

"Pressure of exams. It happens. Take a breath, and maybe you'll be ready to go back. Times nearly up, but—"

You're shaking you're head over and over, replaying what you'd just seen, "No— no, I've done all I can." 

Professor Pym nods and returns to the Great Hall, passing by Peter and Michelle who are running towards you.

"Are you alright?" Peter asks.

"Thanos! He's got Tony! In the Department of Mysteries!" 

Peter goes pale.

"How do you know?" Michelle cuts in.

"I just saw it." You look out onto the Midgards grounds, then turn back to them, "How are we going to get there?"

"To the Department of Mysteries?" Peter asks.

"Yes, we've got to do something!" You shout.

"_____...what if Thanos is only making you see this?" Michelle says.

"Michelle, don't you remember what happened to Ben? I wasn't fast enough, and we lost him; and I can't help but feel it's my fault. I can't lose Tony, he's the only family I have left." 

"Well, how did Thanos even get into the Ministry in the first place? He can't just waltz in without being seen, him and Tony and are the two most wanted wizards in the country." Michelle frowns.

Peter turns to you and Michelle suddenly, "We have to go, what's the harm in us just checking? _____'s right, we have to act fast, we can't let the same thing that happened to my Uncle happen to Tony. _____ doesn't deserve to lose anyone else. The Order doesn't need to lose anyone else." 

"You're only saying that because ______ is your girlfriend and that you lost your Uncle, Peter. It's just so unlikely!" She cries.

"We can't let him die!" You and Peter say in unison.

"There you two go again! All this year, I've been alone because my two best friends are in love and they forgot about me! I lost the boy I loved to the girl he loved most in the world, they just happened to be my best friends, and now I'm losing both of them. I know I'm mean sometimes and I'm sorry, I just...I don't want to be alone." Michelle wipes the tears from her eyes.

"Michelle, you should have told us. We love you, you're our friend, we don't want to hurt you." You assure her.

"God it smells like teenage angst. We heard _____ yelling, what's up?" Wade Wilson says, and him, Ned, and Pietro and Wanda round the corner.

"Thanos has broken into the Department of Mysteries. He's got Tony there. He could already have the weapon!" You think.

"Before we do anything, we need to establish that Tony really isn't at Headquarters. Which means we'll have to break into Ultron's office." Michelle says.

Plans wrack your brain, "For that we'll need a really good distraction." You glance at Pietro and Wanda.

The twins grin, "Right you are, _____. Think we can whip something up, Wanda?"

Wanda nods, "Might just be able to." 

"Just give us a few seconds." Pietro says.

"Hey, both of you, it's got to be really good!" You demand.

"Ah, not to worry young ____, we've had something planned for a long time. It's going to out due everything we've ever done here combined." 

"We'll also need to keep everyone away from Ultron's office." You nod.

Wade brightens, "Me and Neddy can guard the hallway."

You smile at them. 

"We'll probably only mange five minutes or so." Michelle murmurs.

"That's all we'll need." Peter grins.

"You've got ten minutes to get to Ultron's office. And whatever you do, STAY AWAY FROM THE ASTRONOMY TOWER ." Wanda demands.

"Unless they spread, then I'd get out of the castle for awhile..." Pietro says sheepishly, the two of them dart away.

Peter turns to you, "You might wanna break out your invisibility cloak, ____."  
_

You and Peter drop the Invisibly Cloak, inside Ultron's office. You race to the fireplace, snatching up a handful of flop powder, you step inside and hold your hand in front of you.

"Stark Estate!" The fire turns bright green and the flames swallow you up.

"Tony! Tony are you here?" You shout frantically. You dart into the living room and Jarvis appears.

"Jarvis, where's Tony?" 

"Master went out." 

You glare at Jarvis, "You know where he is, don't you?"

"Master does not tell Jarvis where he goes." 

"But you know."

Jarvis grins horribly, "Master will never return from the Department of Mysteries."

You stand there, gaping. Jarvis cackles in a nasty way and scampers off into another room.

"_____!" A voice calls from the fireplace.

You walk towards it and suddenly a hand appears in the fire over your head and grabs your hair, yanking you back.  
_

Ultron throws you to the floor, "You think you could simply walk into my office without me knowing about it you foolish girl!"

You glance around the room, Liz leans against the windowsill. Michelle, Wade, Peter, and Ned are under guard by the Inquisitional Squad, their wands piled on the floor. 

Ultron draws his wand and waves it at you, "Accio wand!" 

Your wand flips from your pocket to Ultron's hand,   
"Who were you trying to contact?"

"It's none of your business." You spit.

Ultron snorts, "Elizabeth, would you fetch Professor Laufeyson, please?"

Liz leaves. Ultron smiles sickeningly at you, "Very well, Marvel. I have been patient enough with you." 

Liz returns with Laufeyson. 

"You wished to see me." He says coolly. 

"I have just caught Marvel trying to communicate with someone in my fire. I need some Veritaserum."   
Ultron snaps.

"It appears I cannot help you. You used the last of my store interrogating Ms. Stacy." Laufeyson turns and leaves.

"We've played nicely, Marvel. You leave me no choice!" He draws his wand, moving menacingly towards you, "You could've saved me a lot of trouble if those Dementors I sent to your house had finished you off!"

You gape at him in astonishment, "You sent the Dementors?"

"Of course I did! Someone had to act!" He points his wand at your chest, "Cruico!"

You scream as the curse washes over you, you slump to the ground, shaking wildly.

"No! Please stop!" Peter shouts.

Ultron looks pleased and turns to him, "Well, well."

"Peter, no!" You gasp.

Peter turns to you, "We have to tell him! I won't let you get hurt!" 

"I would rather him kill me!" You growl.

"Shut up, Marvel. Now talk, you stupid boy! Who were you talking to?"

"We we're trying to find Professor Strange. We had to tell him..." Peter thinks.

"Tell him?"

"That uh, it's ready. The weapon." Peter nods in affirmation.

Ultron's eyes are shaking with eagerness, he smiles at Peter, "You and Ms. Marvel will take me to it."   
_

You, Ultron, and Peter move through the forest. 

"Is it much further?" Ultron says irritably.

"Ah, yes. A bit. It's very well hidden." Peter assures him.

You all wander around in silence. Suddenly, an arrow lands in the ground next the you. You stop, about fifty centaurs emerge from the underbrush. 

"What are you doing in our forest?" A deep voice asks. You recognize him, it's M'Baku, the one who saved you your first year.

"Your forest?!" Ultron shrieks, "This forest belongs to the Ministry of Magic!" 

The centaurs move closer and Ultron takes a step back, "Stay away you beasts." 

There are howls of rage from the ranks of centaurs, many kick their front legs and draw their bows. 

Ultron quickly hides his fear, "You cannot attack me. Any attack on a wizard from a half-breed—" 

"Don't call them that!" Peter shouts, enraged.

M'Baku glares at Ultron, "You dare insult us?"

Ultron points his wand at them, "Come no closer!" 

M'Baku roars and aims his bow. 

Ultron flicks his wand, "Incarcerus!"

Ropes fly from his wand and wraps themselves around M'Baku, and the Centaurs all charge at Ultron. 

Peter grabs you and pulls you both behind a tree. You hear Ultron scream, as centaurs surround him. 

"Ingrates! Animals! Filthy half-bloods!" Ultron shouts. There is a blast like a gunshot and he screams again. 

"What of these two?" A centaur asks from behind you.

You and Peter clutch one another's hands.

The second centaur turns to the first, "They have been here with Bruce. They have heard the warnings and disobeyed. They must suffer the consequences."

Several trees from your left are suddenly torn from the ground and tossed aside like twigs. There stands Skaar. 

The centaurs stop dead in their tracks, and Skaar roars. 

There is silence as everyone stairs at the giant.

"Huk! Bru!" Skaar shouts 

There is another silence, and the giant spots you and Peter "Mavl! Pete! Where Bru?" Skaar asks.

The centaurs raise their bows and point it at Skaar.

"Skaar, help us!" You shout.

"Skaar help Mavl!" Skaar begins to try and stomp and grab for the centaurs. 

Peter grabs your hand drags you away from the fight, as you depart you can hear Skaar one last time, "Skaar want Bru!"   
_

You and Peter reach the edge of the forest, and stop to catch your breath. 

"That was a great plan, Pete." You smile.

"I thought it worked out pretty nicely." He nods. 

"What are we supposed to do now?" You ask.

"That's just what we were wondering." A voice says. You look up, before you stands Michelle, Ned and Wade. 

You look at them in surprise.

"So how do we get to the Ministry?" Michelle asks, tossing you and Peter your wands.

"I imagine we should fly." Peter says.

"We haven't got any brooms." You frown.

Wade grins, "There are other ways to fly."   
_

"They can fly, and they're very good at finding places you need to go." Wade tells the group.

You turn around and see the black horse-reptiles from the "self-pulling" carriages.

"What are those?" You ask.

"What are what?" Peter says in confusion.

"There's nothing there, ____." Michelle says.

"Ah, Michelle, but there is. They're Thestrals. You can't see them unless you've watched someone die." Wade smiles, oddly cheerful.

You clasp your hands together, "Alright then. Get on one and we'll be off."

"And um, what about those who can't see them?" Peter chuckles.

"Me and ____ will show you." Wade says wrapping and arm around your shoulder.


	38. The Prophecy

The Thestrals soar in between two buildings and finally land in front of a telephone booth. 

Ned jumps off his Thestral shakily, "Never again..."

"What now, _____?" Peter asks.

You lead everyone into the telephone booth and step in, everyone crams inside behind you, you and Peter are pressed together, chest to chest. You blush slightly and press the number in on the keypad.  
_

The lift grinds to a halt and the doors swing open. You and the others step out into the receptionist area with the humongous golden fountain, it is deathly quite and completely deserted. 

Everyone fans out, wands at the ready.

You nod, "Alright, come on."

You head past the fountain and up the steps to the Ministry of Magic.   
_

The larger elevator clinks downward slowly. Finally, it grinds to a halt.

"Department of Mysteries." The elevator voice announces.

The doors open and you lead the others out, this department is also abandoned. 

"Where is everyone?" You whisper.

"The Ministry closed half an hour ago. I think everyone went home." Michelle answers.

You nod grimly, "That's how Thanos got in unnoticed."   
_

Everyone walks until you reach the hallway from your dreams, you stop, "This is it, come on." 

You make your way down the long hallway until you reach the door at the end, exactly like from your dreams, only it does not glow around the edges.

You test the handle, the door swings open, you glance at your friends behind you, "Stay close." 

You step inside. The room is large and circular, and filled with identical doors all the way around. It's illuminated with light from blue-flamed candles. After Ned enters the room, the door swings closed with an echoing bang.

"Now what?" Wade asks.

You look around, confused, "I don't understand. In my dream, the doors weren't identical." 

"Well...lets try a few." Michelle shrugs.

You nod, "Yeah, I'll know the way when I see it." 

You walk to the first door you see and open it,  
stepping inside, the others follow.

The room is like an upside down ziggurat, with huge steps leading to the base of the pit. On the lowest level rests a dark grey veil that flutters as if their was a breeze. Soft whispers fill the room. 

"Who's there?" You call. You clamber down the steps to the Veil and stare hard at it, the whispers intensify, and you glance around the room.

"There's no one here, _____. This isn't the right room." Michelle says quickly.

You had the strangest feeling that there was someone standing right behind the veil on the other side of the archway. Gripping your wand very tightly, you edge around the structure, but there's nobody there; all that you can see is the other side of the tattered black veil. 

"No, she's right, Michelle. I hear the whispers too." Peter says, entranced.

"I also hear them." Wade nods, "They're coming from the Veil." 

You look at it, it flutters menacingly, though there is no wind. You move closer to it, slowly. 

"_____..." Michelle whispers.

You're eyes are locked to the veil, you walk even closer. 

"There are people in there." Peter says. 

"What do you mean people? Guys, I think we should leave!" Michelle calls.

You and Peter both edge towards the veil, nearly touching it, reaching out.

Michelle grabs both of your arms and you snap your head back at her, "Hey, we're here for Tony, remember?" She smiles softly.

"Oh...Tony...yeah." You drop your hand and Peter does the same.

She gently leads the two of you away from the veil, the whispers mutter angrily as everyone departs.  
_

Everyone returns to the Room of Doors, Michelle draws a flaming X over the door of the room with the Veil. 

You move to the next one, it's locked. You raise your wand, "Alohamora!" 

The door remains firmly locked.

"Well whatever's in there the Ministry doesn't want anybody getting to it." You shake your head.

You move to the next room and enter, it's filled ceiling to floor with clocks. Moving towards the back of the room, there lies a door. The one from your vision, this had to be where Tony was.

"This is it! Come on!" You call.  
_

You and the others spill into a gigantic room, that's ceiling had to be over fifty feet high and incredibly lond. There are rows and rows of shelves. On every shelf there are dozens of dusty silver orbs, and the room is lit by more blue-flamed candles. 

"He's got to be in here somewhere." You mutter, leading everyone down the center isle, peering down each row. You look down another large row but it's empty too.

"I don't think Tony is here." Michelle says.

Peter stares at one of the orbs, "_____, have you seen this?"

You look over your shoulder.

"Well...it's got your name on it." Peter says.

Sure enough, there's a silver orb resting on the shelf with the label, "The Mad Titan and _____ Marvel." 

You reach out for it, "What's my name doing here?"

"Don't touch it, _____!" Michelle shouts.

You glare at her, "And why not?" 

"Yeah, ____, don't." Ned nods.

You look at Ned who looks petrified, "But— it's got my name on it!" You pluck it off the shelf and inspect it.

"I warned you before that one day you would come to a sticky end, Marvel." A voice calls from the shadows. A figure emerges, it's Adrien Toomes, cloaked in all black. Several other figures appear, all Children of Thanos.

You and the others are surrounded and outnumbered. 

"Where's Tony?" You ask.

Adrien and several of the others laugh, "We don't have him, if that's what you mean."

You are stunned, and sullen, "You never did, did you? It was all just a trick..." 

"The Mad Titian knows your weakness for heroics, Marvel. All it took was the slightest nudge to get you here." Adrien reaches out his hand, palm up, "Now give me that prophecy."

"What prophecy?" You ask. 

Adrien points at the silver orb, "That prophecy. Now hand it over or we'll use our wands."

You raise your wand and smirk smugly at them, "Go ahead." 

Your friends follow, pointing their wants.

Adrien regards you coldly, "Very brave of you, Marvel. Or very foolish?"

"Why don't you come and find out!" You shout.

Adrien doesn't move, "Really Marvel? You expect to defeat us with all your little school friends? Now hand it over and they won't have to die here." 

One of the other cloaked figures moves forward and throws off her hood, it's Proxima Midnight. The one who killed Peter's parents and Ned's father. She was supposed to be in Azkaban.

"I haven't escaped Azkaban for this!" She raises her wand. Adrien pushes her arm down. 

"No! If the prophecy is smashed—" He stops and turns back to you, but Proxima turns to several other Children of Thanos.

"Take the boy trying to protect Marvel. We'll see how committed she is as we torture him."

You, Michelle, Wade and Ned all close around Peter protectively. You step in front of Peter, wand out and aimed at Proxima's chest, the prophecy in your other hand.

"You even try to touch him and I'll shatter this thing." You toss the prophecy causally in the air and catch it. Adrien stares at you in horror.

"So what kind of prophecy are we talking about here?" You asks.

Proxima looks surprised, "Surely you jest, Marvel?" 

"Ah, not really. How come Thanos wants it?" You ask.

"You dare speak the Titans name?" Adrien shutters.

You chuckle, "Who, Thanos? Oh yeah, I dare. Thanos, Thanos, Tha—" 

"Silence!" Proxima shouts, "How dare you utter that name from your filthy half-blood mouth!" 

"Hey, did you know Thanos is a half-blood too?" You ask playfully.

Proxima raises her wand to strike, but Adrien stops her again, "Control yourself, Proxima."

"Answer my question, what's so special about this prophecy anyway?" You ask.

Proxima shrieks with laughter.

"You mean Strange never told you the reason you bear that scar was hidden here?" Adrien asks.

You feel as if you've been slapped you are so surprised, "What?"

Adrien and the rest of the Children of Thanos laugh.

You turn to Michelle and Peter and whisper, "When I give the signal, blast the shelves..."

They both nod grimly.

"So that's what took you so long, we wondered." Adrien says.

"But why did you need me to take it?" You ask.

"Only the person for whom the prophecy was made can remove it from its shelf, and the prophecy certainly wasn't made for the Mad Titan." 

You're filled with rage, "So he used me to do his dirty work?" 

"Precisely." Adrien nods.

"NOW!" You shout.

No less than five wands fire into the shelves at once, the Children of Thanos cover their heads as debris swallow them up. 

"RUN!" You shout.

Dust fills the air. Entire shelves fall, crashing to the ground, raining glass shards and silver orbs. Your friends break and run for the door.

Adrien grabs you by the shoulder, but Peter waves his wand at him, "Stupify!"

Adrien is blasted backwards, you run after the others, spells exploding around you. 

"Stop them!" You hear Adrien shriek from behind you.

You slide through the door, the last one through.   
_

Michelle slams the door shut and, points her wand at it, "Colloportus!"

The door seals itself. You glance around, only Michelle and Ned are still with you. 

"Where's everyone? Where's Peter?" You ask anxiously. 

Michelle looks around, "They went the wrong way!"

You both get up to run after Peter, Wade, but suddenly the door is blasted off of its hinges. 

You, Michelle, and Ned dive underneath several desks. The Children of Thanos enter the room, slowly moving between the clocks and desks. 

"The might have gone on to the hall." One says.

"Check under the desks." Proxima Midnight demands.

You leap out from under your desk, "Stupify!"

A jet of red light hits one of cloaked men in the chest, he is knocked backward into the wall. Michelle jumps from under her desk and runs for the exit, but Proxima sees her and raised her wand, 

"Avada—"

Ned emerges from underneath his desk, "Expelliarmus!" 

Proximas wand flies from her fingers, and you finish her off. 

"Stupify!" Proxima is struck with the red spell and falls to the ground. 

"Ned you saved me!" Michelle smiles, hugging him.

A yell sounds from the next room, "PETER!" You shriek.

Two Children of Thanos enter the room, "Impedimenta!"

The spell blasts all three of you backwards, Ned flies over a desk, Michelle strikes a bookshelf and is nearly buried under all the falling books and you smack a wall, all the breath being knocked out of you.

"We've got her!" One shouts.

Michelle's hand pops out from underneath the books, "Silenco! Stupify!" 

The man falls silent, and then to the ground. 

You stagger to your feet, "Petrificus Totalus!" 

The second Child of Thanos, falls to the ground, rigid and unmoving. Then, the mute one attacks Michelle, making a slashing movement with his wand. 

A purple flame blasts from the wand, and hits Michelle in the chest, her eyes go wide and she falls to the ground. 

"Stupify!" Ned shouts, knocking him out once more.

"Michelle!" You cry, running to her. She appears to be sleeping, "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead..." you shake her, "Michelle wake up..."

Ned runs over, "What'd they do to her?"

You shake your head, and Ned feels her wrist. 

"She's definitely alive, ____. There's a pulse."

You sigh in relief, "Can we carry her?" 

"I'll do it. You're better at fighting." Ned says, he hoists Michelle up on his back and you both move to the next room, your wand at the ready.

You and Ned enter the Room of Doors, but Michelle's X's has faded from the walls.

"Where do we go?" Ned asks.

"I'm not sure..." you frown.

A door opens and Wade and Peter emerge, Peter is helping Wade walk.

"What happened?" You ask quickly.

"I think my ankles broken. And somebody hit Wade with a weird spell..." Peter says.

Wade laughs strangely, "Hiya ____," he giggles, "You look funny." He laughs again.

Peters leg gives way and he and Wade fall onto the ground. You shoot to Peter's side, feeling very concerned, his breathing is very hard. 

"We need to get out of here." You tell Ned.

Another door opens, and five Children of Thanos emerge. 

"There they are!" Promixa Midnight shouts.

Stunning spells rain all around you, Ned and Wade head for the nearest door, Wade is blasted off his feet, and tumbles to the floor, you have no choice but to continue running with Peter. 

The next stunning spell hits Ned on the back, he falls to the ground, Michelle rolling away from him.

You and Peter stagger into the Room of the Veil. Just as you enter, Peter is hit and falls. You slip and fall down the stairs, tumbling to the bottom of the chamber, your body rests at the foot of the veil.

Doors all around you burst open and Children of Thanos enter, climbing to surround you, but from a safe distance.

You attempt to stagger up onto the dais, your wand held weakly in your hand, blood trickling out of your mouth and down your chin.

Adrien shoves his way towards you, "Your race is run Marvel, hand it over." 

You glance around frantically, "Let my friends go and I will." 

Proxima and several others drag your friends into the chamber.

Adrien smugly grins, "You are in no position to negotiate."

Peter struggles against the person holding him, "Don't do it, _____! Don't!"

"Stop, Peter!" You shout.

Proxima looks at Peter, "Peter? Peter Parker?" She laughs in glee, "My dear boy, I paid your parents a vist a long time ago. We had such a time!"

"You killed them!" Peter spits.

Proxima beams at him, "So, Marvel. Give us the prophecy or I'll see how long it takes us to crack Parker like his parents."

You are so very desperate, "Fine!" You reach for the prophecy to give it to them.

Proxima laughs, "Crucio!" 

"NO!" You scream.

Peter cries out in pain, curling up in a ball screaming at the top of his lungs.

The doors at the top of the chamber explode off their hinges, everything stops as, Peggy, Steve, Fury, and Tony blast spells at the Children of Thanos, Adrien moves to attack, but Peggy disarms him.

You leap off the dais, landing next to Peter, "Oh Peter! Are you alright?" 

Peter somehow manages a weak smile, "Yeah..."

You help Peter up and begin making your way away from the fighting. Suddenly, a man grabs you from behind, his large sweaty arm around your throat. 

"Give me the prophecy!" He demands.

Peter jumps onto the mans back and hits him in the face, and you elbow him in the ribs. The man falls, but as he falls he strikes your hand, and the prophecy goes flying.

Adrien sees it, he raises his wand. Tony leaps into him. Both men fall the rest of the way to the lowest level of the room, landing hard. 

The prophecy bounces off of a step, flips down to the next level, and shatters against the stone.

A ghostly vision of Proffessor Delphi appears over the shattered silver orb, speaks something that cannot be heard over all the fighting, and dissolves.

You and Peter are frozen, staring at the shattered orb.

Tony shoots to his feet and sprints up to you, "Get out of here, you two!" He points at one of the doors, "That will take you back out of the Department of Mysteries."

Tony makes to go back to the fight, but you grab his sleeve, "Come with us!"

Tony shakes his head, "You're the important one now, ____. I have to help the Order." 

Slowly, you let go of his robe sleeve. You look into your Godfather's eyes. 

"I'll always be here for you, _____, now go!" He shoos.

He pushes you both away from him, towards the door, then a spell rockets past Tonys head. Proxima leaps down in front of Tony, she smiles, he grins. 

"Hello, Proxy!" Tony says playfully, he fires a spell at her. She dodges, leaping down onto the dais where the Veil sits.

Tony leaps after her, their wands clash, blinding light exploding from the tips. You and Peter climb towards the door. 

"Marvel!"

You and Peter whirl around, only to find Adrien feet away, holding his wand out at you both, "We may have lost the prophecy, but we can still deliver you to the Mad Titan!" He waves his wand, "Stupify!"

You and Peter raise your own wands, "Protego!" You shout in unison.

Adriens spell bounces away from you and Peter. The door behind you slams open and Strange enters, his wand at the ready.

"It's Strange!" Peter grins.

Adrien attempts to run, but Strange snaps his wand out, and he is knocked over and dragged back. Strange walks past you and Peter, and descends into the war zone. 

Strange blasts two Children of Thanos across the room before the rest notice. They break for the exits, but members of the Order are already there to stun them.

Proxima fires a stunning spell and Tony easily ducks under it, laughing coolly, "Is that the best you've got?"

He doesn't even see it coming, he barely finishes his sentence when the second spell strikes him in the chest. He is lifted into the air, a look of shock upon his face. He suddenly looks very old. 

Time seems to slow for you as you watch Tony's descent, and then, he falls into the Veil, his body simply falling behind it. 

He does not reappear on the other side.

You sprint for you Godfather, but it's like you're moving in slow motion. 

"Tony!" You scream.

You leap down towards the Veil, abandoning everything. Tears streaming down your face. Your wand drifts from your grasp and clatters on the ground. You reach the lowest level and charge up onto the dais, and suddenly Steve reaches out and grabs you, holding you fast.

"NO! LET ME GO!" You scream.

You hit at Steve, trying to break away from him. In this moment, you hate him.

"_____. _____!...he's gone...there's nothing you can do..." Steve looks very broken.

But you are filled with a pain and rage you have never know, you hit Steve in the face, "LIAR!" 

Things seem to slow down. All sound dies away for you. Spells flash and explode all around, bathing the room in strange colors, mixing with the light of the blue candles.

But your legs simply give out and you slump against Steve, who is also weeping. You clench and unclench your fists in agony, beating them weakly against Steve's chest. Steve scoops you up, still weeping, and carries you away from the dais, and places you next to Peter, who is laying on the floor, unconscious. 

Steve begins to help Peter, and you stand dumbfounded beside him, still starring at the Veil.

Peggy leaps up to duel with Proxima, but she blasts her aside. Strange turns and attempts to stop her, but she deflects his spells and runs for an open door. 

You watch her with cold fury. You sprint after her.

"_____, no!" Steve calls.

But you do not listen, you fly through the door after her.  
_

You sprint down the steps leading out to the Golden fountain and the telephone elevator. Proxima is nearly to it.

"You can't stop me, Marvel!" She says.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" You yell, brandishing your wand, "Stupify!"

She deflects it, and fires back at you. You jump behind the fountain.

There is silence, and then Proxima's heavy footfalls, "Come out, come out, Marvel..."

You grow more furious by the second.

"Well, well, have you come to avenge your dear Godfather?" She mocks.

You leap out from behind the fountain, "Crucio!"

You hit her square in the chest. She shrieks and falls to the ground in pain, but she rolls always from you and is back on her feet almost instantly.

"Crucio!" She fires back.

You leap behind a statue of a centaur, and Proxima's spell knocks the statues head clean off, it clangs away into the darkness.

Proxima cackles, "Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, Marvel? You have to mean it, you have to want to cause the pain in your very soul..."  
She tries to outflank you, but you move behind another statue.

"Give me the prophecy!" She shouts.

"I can't! I smashed it! Besides, why would I give it to you, you've hurt so many people I love!"

"You lie about the prophecy! Besides, love is weak and foolish, you stupid child! Look at where it's gotten you, on your knees, about to meet your doom!" She laughs.

"Thanos isn't going to like that the prophecy is gone! You've failed him! And he's not very forgiving is he?"

Proxima lets out a shriek of horror, "Forgive me Master! I tried—"

You laugh, it's cold and empty, "He can't hear you from here, you know?"

"Can't I, Marvel?"

You turn around, your blood runs cold, Thanos has appeared in the middle of the hall, his wand pointed at you. 

"So, you smashed my prophecy..." Thanos says, irked.

You don't move, frozen into stillness by horror. 

Thanos sneers, "I must admit, I am tired of you ruining my plans, _____ Marvel." He snaps his wand down nonchalantly, "Avada Kadavra!" 

Green light explodes from his wand, you flinch, but the statue of the golden wizard above you leaps down and takes the full blast in the chest, it explodes into a thousand shards of molten metal.

Thanos whirls, and Strange stands in the doorway, looking ferocious, blue-eyes blazing.

"You should not have come here tonight, Santho." Strange says.

"It is you who made that mistake, Strange." Thanos says, slashing his wand, "Avada Kadavra!"


	39. The Final Burden

Strange vanishes, and then reappears in between Thanos and Proxima. She tries to run, but Thanos knocks her to the ground with a stunning spell, vanishing just as Thanos fires off another killing curse.

Strange reappears closer to Thanos, and raises his wand and strikes. A blinding light issues from it, the power staggering. Thanos forms a shield around himself and the light from the spell bounces off it, flooding the room with bright white light, and the entire building seems to shake.

You stagger to the ground, as bits of dust and rock fly off the walls. The light fades and Thanos still stands, unharmed.

Thanos shakes his head, "Do you not seek to kill me Strange?" 

"There are other ways to destroy a man, Santho." Strange says.

Thanos laughs, "There is nothing worse than death." 

"You are quite wrong, Santho. As you have always been." 

Thanos fires another killing curse towards Strange, and Strange moves once more, firing a stream of bright yellow light a Thanos. The sheer power of the spell shakes the hall once more. Thanos raises his own wand and, the light splits around him, and they are both bathed in the light. You cannot see them.

The ceiling rumbles and a chunk of rock plummets towards you. 

"Reducto!" You shout, the rock explodes into a thousand pieces.

The light is gone and Thanos is now on the platform where the statues had been. Strange mutters a spell and all the water from the statue flows into a giant sphere, and wraps itself around Thanos, he vanishes, and the water crashes back into the pool.

"Professor!" You shout.

"Stay where you are, ____!" Strange says, he looks very frightened.

Then you scream. The pain you feel is worse than anything a spell could do, your scar splits and blood trickles down your face. The pain is unbearable. What is happening? You cannot think, you cannot speak, it's like your body is not even yours. 

You speak, but it is not your voice, "Kill me now Strange, do it. If death truly means nothing." 

Green flames explode from all the fireplaces around you and Ministry officials appear as they apperate. The Minister arrives too.

Thanos yells in pain and appears across the room, he snatches the unconscious body of Proxima Midnight and dissaperates in a blast of green fire.

You slump to the ground, eyes closed, face peaceful. Blood dripping from your scar down your face. 

You're sure you're about to die, about to drift off into the unknown. Peter's standing there reaching out. Your parents, Tony, Michelle, Ned, Wade, all calling out, begging you to come with them. But it's not real. It's too good to be true. 

Your eyes snap open, Strange is kneeling next to you.

"Are you alright, _____?" He asks.

You nod, dazed.

"You-Know-Who...he was right there..." Ross says, baffled.

Strange stands, half the room gasps and draws back. Ross seems to notice him for the first time.

"If you and your men will proceed to the Death Room, you will find several Children of Thanos which I and several others have apprehended." Strange says, motioning towards the door.

Ross' eyes widen, "Seize him!"

Strange stands to his full hight, red cape blazing behind him, "Minister, you have just seen Thanos in the flesh only seconds ago! It is time to come to your senses!" 

Ross looks cowed. 

Strange scoffs, "If you insist on trying to arrest me, I am perfectly willing to demonstrate how useless an attempt will be."

No one looks remotely interested on trying to arrest Strange. 

"Strange, what happened here?" Ross asks.

Strange smiles and walks over to you, lifting you onto your feet, "I will explain everything, Minister. Just as soon as I return _____ to Midgards." 

Ross and half the crowd turn to see you for the first time.

"What's she doing here? What happened to her?" Ross says with contempt.

Strange taps his wand against your scar and the bleeding stops, he turns to the Minister, "You will  
order the removal of Draven Ultron from my school at once." He pauses, "Also, he will probably need medical attention, after having a violent encounter with some Centaurs earlier this evening. All educational decrees will be nullified and you will call off the search on Bruce Banner so he can return to work."

Ross is sputtering incomprehensibly.

Strange nods, "I will return here later tonight, after I have seen to ____. It should not take long." He taps the head of the golden centaur statue, "Portus." He motions you over. 

Ross looks like he's about to explode, "Strange! I want some answers!"

Strange looks grimly behind him, "The Second War has begun, Minister."  
_

You and Strange reappear in his office, there are shouts of welcome from the framed portraits covering the walls. Strange's desk had been repaired from when Ross tried to arrest him the first time.

"Please sit, ____."

You stare at him with bitterness and sorrow.

"I understand how you feel, ____—" Strange begins.

"No you don't." You say angrily.

Strange looks hard at you, "You forget that Tony was my friend too. You are not the only one on this earth capable of feelings, ____." 

You nearly snarl at him. 

"There is no shame in feeling pain, ____. It is your greatest strength..."

"You don't have a clue! You can't possibly know how much I've suffered! How many people I've hurt!" You cry, you grab a hourglass off one of the tables and hurl it across the room.

"This pain is just a part of being human, ____." Strange consoles.

"THEN I DON'T WANT TO BE HUMAN!" You scream.

You kick at a table and the leg breaks, sending everything on it crashing to the ground, "I don't care, I don't care!"

You begin to silently weep, tears pouring down your face, you throw the first thing you can grab and then fall to your knees.

"You do care. You care so much you feel like you will bleed to death because of it." Strange says remorsefully.

You stumble to your feet, and go to open the door. You yank on the handle, but it's locked. You glare at Strange. 

"Let me out."

"No." Strange shakes his head.

You draw your wand, "You can't keep me in here! I wanna see Peter. I wanna see my friends."

"I daresay I can. And if you actually try to attack me with that wand, _____, I'm afraid you will regret it."

You stay silent, only breathing hard and gritting your teeth. Strange indicates once more to the chair in front of him.

You finally relent, plopping down, looking sulky.

"It's my fault Tony died tonight." Strange pauses, "I have kept things from you, ____. Things that I should not have concealed. Things you had a right to know, but I didn't tell you." He sighs sadly, and suddenly he seems very old. "Had I told you that Thanos might try to lure you the the Department of Mysteries you would've never gone there. Tony would've never gone after you. That fault lies with me. I hope you can forgive me one day."

You stare hatefully out of the window. 

"I owe you an explanation, to show you the failings of an old man." 

You continue to stare out of the window.

"Our explanation begins with your scar. You already know it's a connection between you and Thanos, and that the connection goes both ways. I grew worried Thanos would discover this connection, which he did on the night Ben Parker was murdered. "

"I already knew all of this." You mutter.

"Haven't you wondered why we haven't talked or I haven't spared you a glance for months?" 

"Well...yes, I did." You frown.

"I was worried if Thanos discovered there was a closer relationship between us other than a teacher and pupil that he would use you to spy. Another mistake...Thanos showed us both tonight that his aim in possessing you would not be to destroy me, but distroy, you."

You look at your shoes. 

"Tony told me you believed you were the Chitauri that killed Ben. This was Thanos attempting to manipulate you, to make you believe it was your fault. So I had you study Occlumency to protect you from this."

"But Laufeyson stopped giving me lessons." You say judgmentally. 

"I thought he could overcome his feelings for your father, but I was wrong. Some wounds cut too deep to be healed..." 

"What about Tony? Where was he when I tried to contact him?" You ask. 

"Jarvis. He injured Buckbeak to distract Tony incase you tried to contact headquarters. Tony was tending to the wounds when you called. Jarvis has been serving two masters for some time now. After Tony told him to leave, he went to the Toomes'."

You growl, "And Michelle said we should be nice to that little—"

"She was quite right, ____. Jarvis is what wizards have made him. He is to be pitied, not hated." Strange nods.

"Tony hated him." 

"Tony didn't hate Jarvis himself. Jarvis was a reminder to Tony of the home he always hated."

"Yeah, he really hated that place. And you kept him locked up there." You glare.

"I was trying to save his life." Strange rubs his temples, and closes his eyes, exhausted.

Strange finally looks up, "It is time to tell you what I should have told you five years ago. I'm sure you have wondered why I didn't send you to a wizarding family. It was for your protection. You were in more danger than anyone realized. Thanos was defeated but his servants were everywhere. I also knew that Thanos would return one day. I played to his weakness. There is an ancient magic that Thanos has always underestimated. It is the same magic that your mother gave you when she died. The protection would only work, however, if you were cared for by a blood relative, Your Aunt, Frigga." 

You scoff, "She never loved me." 

"Perhaps not. But she took you in, after all, no matter how grudgingly. And as long as you call your Aunt's house home, you'll be protected."

You look away, and Strange sighs, his features darkening.

"And now to come the moment of terrible truth I have dreaded for fifteen years. The moment I must lay another burden atop your already straining shoulders." 

You stare into his blue eyes.

"Do you remember your first year here? When you were in the hospital fresh from your first confrontation with Thanos?"

You nod.

"Do you remember what you asked me that night?"

You think, "I-I asked you why Thanos tried to kill me." 

"I couldn't tell you the truth right then...or the years that followed. And it was because I cared about you too much. I became more concerned for your happiness and well-being than with the truth and the lives it could save. That was my greatest mistake, and exactly what Thanos expects from those that love." He pauses, "But I couldn't bear to tell you. I have watched you pass through greater trials than any other student in the history of this school, and I could not bear to add another one, the greatest one of all." 

He looks at you, regret and sympathy etched onto his face.

"I...I don't understand Professor?" You raise an eyebrow.

Strange sighs, "The reason Thanos tried to kill you is because of a prophecy made just before your birth. By attempting to kill you he thought he was fulfilling the terms of the prophecy. Thanos' mistake was that he had not heard the entire prophecy. This is the weapon we have been guarding, and which he has been so desperately seeking: the knowledge of how to destroy you."

You sigh this time, glancing at the floor, "Professor, why am I so important to him?" 

"An excellent question. The answer lies within the prophecy." 

"But sir, the prophecy was smashed." 

"That is not the only place the prophecy was preserved." Strange guides you over to his penisve and raises his wand and extracts a memory, placing it in the liquid.

A ghostly image of Professor Delphi appears in the bowl and speaks, "The one with the power to vanquish the Mad Titan approaches...Born to those who have thrise defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the Mad Titan will mark her as his equal, and she will have a power the Mad Titan knows not...and one must die at the at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..." the image of Delphi fades.

You stagger backwards in disbelief.

"Thanos had an informant listening in on my meeting with Professor Delphi, but he was discovered before he could hear the whole thing. The only thing Thanos knew was he had to act as soon as possible, all he knew was he had to destroy a child who would grow be a threat to his power.

"...but I don't have any special powers." You frown.

"There is a room in the Department of Mysteries which is kept locked at all times. It contains a force so wonderful, yet terrible that is is greater than death itself. It is that power which you have incredible amounts of and which Thanos has none."

"And, what is that power, sir?" 

Strange smiles, "This power drove you to save Tony tonight. It kept Thanos from possessing you for very long because he cannot bear to touch it." Strange pauses, "In the end it was your heart, not your head that saved you."

You look away.

"...There is only one part of the prophecy which we haven't addressed. It states, "neither can live while the other survives."

You slowly come to meet Strange's eyes.

"It is the final burden I must place on you, ____."

You look at him solemnly, "One of us has to kill each other...in the end." 

Strange nods, his expression hard.

"Yes."  
_

You walk into the entry hall and Peter and Michelle come racing towards you, fresh out of the hospital. 

Peter runs up to you and spins you around, kissing you on the cheek. Michelle gives you a big hug.

You smile weakly, "How are you guys?"

"Good as new!" Michelle grins.

Peter looks at you closely, "How are you doing, ____?" He asks quietly.

You pause for a long moment, thinking, "Better."

"Come on, lets go to the feast." Michelle says.

You shake you head, "You two go on. I'd like to be alone for awhile."

Michelle nods and walks on into the Great Hall. Peter stays, starring at you. 

"Are you sure? I understand what you're going through better than anyone, I think. You know that." Peter says, worriedly.

You nod again, "I have something to tell you. Something important." 

He looks at you and you grab his hands gently.

"But not right now. I'm not ready...and don't know if I can be the girlfriend you deserve right now. I think we should just...take a break.Until things start—"

Peter stops you, "Take your time, ____. I'll be right here waiting for you." 

You kiss him gently, carefully. This could be the last time. He holds you for a moment and then turns into the Great Hall, glancing back at you one last time before he disappears.

Wade comes down the stairs carrying a stack of papers, he goes up to the notice board and attaches one of the papers to it. He turns and looks at you, "Heya, ____. You look like you just lost something."

"I...kinda did." You sigh. 

"Well, it's the last night and I need to pack." Wade nods.

"Then why are you putting up signs?" You ask.

"Oh, people keep taking my stuff and hiding it. Ya know, I'm starting to think people don't like me very much. Some of them call me, "Wacko" Wilson."

You look at him in pity, "Do you need any help looking?"

"Nah. It all turns up in the end." He grins, and then looks at you carefully, "Tony Stark. Michelle said he was you Godfather."

"Yeah...have you ever...you know?" You look at your feet.

"My mom. I was five."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. It's not like I'll never see her again." Wade shrugs.

You look at him in confusion, "Isn't it?"

"Don't tell me you didn't hear them, the voices beyond the Veil?" Wade laughs.

You feel startled.

"They were just out of sight, that's all." Wade nods. 

"You mean we'll see them again?" 

"Of course." Wade nods, "Things always work out, in the end." He smiles at you, and heads into the Great Hall. 

You are left alone in the entry hall, looking at the glorious sunset before you. For the first time in a long time, you smile too.

End of Year 5


	40. The Chosen One?

You glance around the train station, it's late. Lonely men and women loiter on the platform, in the cafe the other patrons around you grimly read their tabloid of choice. Your eyes flick back to the Daily Prophet. Today's headline: "_____ MARVEL : THE CHOSEN ONE?"

However your eyes are fixated on a smaller article, tucked at the bottom corner of the back page: "Toomes Sentenced to Azkaban." Two photographs accompany the piece, one of Adrien Toomes, another of his wife and Liz Allen as they exit a courtroom. Liz's eyes look distant, and haunted.

"_____ Marvel. Who's _____ Marvel?" 

Your paper drops, revealing your face to the waiter standing over you. You glance up at the young man who stands before you. He's handsome. Very handsome.

"Oh. Um. No one. Bit of a loser, really." You shrug. 

He leans over to clear your chip wrappings, "Funny that paper of yours. Couple nights ago, I could swear I saw one of the pictures move." 

"Really." You laugh.

"Thought I'd gone crazy...hey I get off a eleven, maybe you could tell me about that loser _____ Marvel?" He smiles. 

Your heart quickens. You nearly say you have a boyfriend, but you don't...not anymore. You nod and smile back at the waiter, "Okay." 

He grins happily and winks at you. You shrug, nothing wrong with hanging out with a boy. You reach into your pocket and fumble for a pen to finish writing a letter to Peter, when suddenly a light on the opposite train platform flickers. You eye it suspiciously, it flickers again and this time a small cloud of glittering dust dances in the air. 

As a train roars past, you squint through the windows and watch the dust transform into none other than Stephen Strange. Strange fixes his bright red cloak, peers across the platform, and gives you a wave.  
_

You arrive next to Strange and find him studying a perfume advertisement which shows a model with a wand in her teeth, it reads: "Tonight Make a Little Magic With Your Man."

Strange turns to you, "You've been reckless this summer, _____."

You nod to yourself, "Well, I like riding round on the trains. It takes my mind off...things." You hesitate, and notice Strange's hand is ash black.

"Rather unpleasant to behold, isn't it? The tale is thrilling if I do say so myself, but I'm afraid now is not the time to tell it. Take my arm." Strange extends his arm, "Do as I say."

You glance across the platform, as the handsome waiter appears and eyes your empty table. You bite your lip and reach out to grab Strange's arm, instantly, all goes black in a rush of sound and colors, as if you've been pitched headlong into a tornado. 

Seconds later you re-emerge into the world, reeling, eyes stinging with tears. Slowly, your head stops spinning.

"I just apparated, didn't I?" You ask.

"Indeed. And quite successfully I might add. Most people vomit their first time." Strange says.

"Can't imagine why..." You mutter.

Strange leads you up a steep narrow street lined with darkened houses.

"Welcome to the charming village of Budleigh Babberton, _____. I assume right about now you're wondering why I've brought you here, am I right?" 

You glance around and shrug, "After all these years, I just sort of roll with it, sir."

Strange smiles mildly, then pauses, his face darkening. Before you stands a small stone house, but something is just wrong about the place.

Strange turns to you "Wand out, ____."

Through a crack in the front door, you and Strange move swiftly up the walk and enter.

"Lumos..." The tip of Strange's wand blazes. He sweeps the shadows, and calls out, "Wong!" 

Nothing. Strange points his wand down a narrow hallway. Motes of dust dance in the wandlight, but nothing else. He starts down the it, toward the open doorway at its end. Slowly, the room beyond comes into view, it completely destroyed. A grandfather clock lays upon the floor, its face cracked, a piano sags in the corner, keys strewn like teeth upon the rug, and a copy of the Daily Prophet trembles in the breeze from a half-open window. 

As you stair at the paper, a drop of something wet strikes the word "CHOSEN" on the headline. Your gaze rises.

You gasp, a substance dark and thick is spattered upon the ceiling. Strange raises his wand, and another drop falls and this one strikes your forehead, on your scar. You move to wipe it away but Strange stops you, flicking a blackened finger over your scar. He tastes it, and reels, his eyes narrowing on an overstuffed armchair. Moving to it, he jabs his wand into the plump seat cushion.

Instantly, the armchair mutates into human, though it briefly gets caught inbetween. After a bit of grumbling, seam-splitting and the popping of a cushion button or two, a man in a pair of well-worn crimson pajamas appears.

"There's no need to disfigure me, Stephen!" The man says.

"I must say, you make a very convincing armchair, Wong." Strange smiles. 

"It's all in the upholstery." Wong nods, "I come by the stuffing naturally. What gave me away?"

Strange points to the ceiling, "Dragon's blood."

"Yes, well, I couldn't l use wizard's blood, could I?"   
Wong finally notices you, and takes a step back. 

It's like the blood on your forehead only serves to highlight your scar.

"Ah yes. Introductions. _____, this is an old friend and colleague of mine, Wong. Wong, this is, well, you know who this is." Strange motions to the man and yourself, "So why all the theatrics? You weren't expecting someone else, were you?"

"Someone else? I'm sure I don't know what you mean." Wong says.

Strange raises an eyebrow, and Wong caves.

"Oh all right, The Children of Thanos have been trying to recruit me for over a year. Do you know what that's like? You can only say no to these people so many times before they..."

"Take matters into their own hands?" Strange suggests.

Wong eyes Strange miserably, and gestures, "I never stay anywhere more than a week. The Muggles who own this place are in the Canary Islands." 

"Well, I think it should be put back in order for them, don't you?" Strange raises his wand. Instantly, the grandfather clock resumes its rightful place, shattered lanterns re-ignite and the blood on the ceiling evaporates, just as the piano keys tumble back into place with a pleasant musical run.

Strange gives a small smile, "That was fun. You two must excuse me, I'll be back shortly."

As Strange heads down the hall, Wong calls after, "Don't think I don't know why you're here, Stephen! The answer is still no!"

Strange doesn't respond, Wong glances at you. The silence is palpable and awkward.

Wong glances at you, "You look very much like your father, you know. But they way you hold yourself it's exactly like—" 

"My mother, yeah." You say gently. 

Wong smiles softly, "Carol. She was exceedingly bright. It's even more impressive when you consider she was Muggle-born.

You frown, "One of my best friends is Muggle-born. She's the best in our year." 

"Oh, don't think I'm prejudice, no, no, no. Your mother was one of my absolute favorites. Look, there she is. Right up front." Wong waves to a dresser crowded with photographs, "All mine, each and every one. Ex-students, I mean." 

A moment later Strange walks in holding a magazine, "Mind if I take this? I do love knitting patterns."

Wong looks away from you, "Of course. But you're not leaving now, are you?"

Strange shrugs, "I think I know a lost cause when I  
see one. Regrettable. I would have considered it a personal triumph had you consented to return to Midgards, Wong. You are, like my friend Ms. Marvel here— one of a kind."   
_

Strange hums placidly as you make your way down the walk. Seconds later, the front door swings open.

"All right!" Wong shouts, "I'll do it. But I'll be wanting Professor Eisenhardt's old office, not that broom closet I had before. And I expect a raise. These are insane times we live in!"

Strange ponders for a moment and turns, "Indeed they are." He leads you back toward the Village Square.

"Sir, exactly what was that all—" 

Strange puts a hand on your shoulder, "You are talented, famous and powerful— everything Wong values. Professor Wong is going to try to collect you, _____. You would be his crowning jewel. That is why he is returning to Midgards. And it is crucial he return..." 

You are intrigued by the last statement, but before you can pursue it, Strange glances ruefully at the moon.

"I fear I may have stolen a wondrous night from you, _____. He was, truthfully, very handsome. The boy. However I thought you and Mr. Parker...?" Strange eyes you from the side. 

"Oh...we were, not anymore. Well, what I actually mean is, just not right now." You say sheepishly. 

"Forgive me, I was merely being curious." Strange chuckles. 

"It's alright, sir. I'll go back to the cafe tomorrow, make some excuse—" You stop. 

Strange is shaking his head, "You'll not be going back home tonight, _____."

"Uh but, sir. What about Hedwig? And there's my trunk—" 

"Both are waiting for you." 

Strange extends his arm. Mystified, you reach out. As your fingers touch the silk of Strange's cloak, you apparate, and look around, stumbling to one knee and wincing, "Sir?"

Strange is gone.

Your rise, and glance about. In the distance a small townhouse shimmers, surrounded by forest. A boy with coffee brown hair flits briefly past an upstairs window, Peter Parker.


	41. Will and Won’t

Peter has his back turned to you and he's speaking to his aunt, "You haven't seen her? Apparently, she's wandering around the house."

"Really?" His aunt calls from the top of the stairs. 

You grin and decide to reveal yourself, "Really." 

Peter spins, there you stand in the doorway of the kitchen, "______!" 

Peter gives you a great grinning hug. There is something oddly charged about the moment, a surprise to you after all these months of being apart.

Aunt May rushes down the stairs, "But why didn't you tell us you were coming?" 

"Didn't know." You shrug.

May gives you a hug, "Strange, that man. But then, what would we do without him?"  
_

The Daily Prophet tumbles within a ball of red flames, but it doesn't disintegrate. You tease the fire with the tip of your wand, where The Chosen One? mingles with Liz's haunted face in the flames. Peter's room only looks a bit different since the last time you'd seen it, really just cleaner than usual. 

Peter glances at you, "May sort of lost it last week.  
Said you and I shouldn't back to Midgards. That it's too dangerous."

"Oh come on..." You say defensively.

"And she's not alone. Even Ned's mom, and she's a muggle, knows something bad is happening. Anyway, Steve Rogers stepped in, and told her Midgards was the safest place for us. It took a day or two, but she came around."

"Exactly, Strange's there. What could be safer?" You nod.

"There's been a lot of talk lately. That he's gotten...old." Peter mutters.

"No way, he can't be that old, he looks so young. He's only— what?" You ponder.

"Looks can be deceiving. I mean, I bet he's about a hundred and fifty. Give or take a few years." Peter says.

There silence, and you nod. Then the two of you break out laughing. You take another poke at the Prophet. 

"You know, I did miss you a lot this summer. I know I shouldn't care or whatever but...I did. I just wanted you to know." You blush.

"I know, I could tell in your letters. I missed you to." He places a hand on your cheek.

You lean into his touch, "You know we can't keep doing this. Pretending like we're together again and everything is fine. It's not..." 

"I know part of this is because you think you can keep me safer if you push me away. But I've told you this, whatever path your going down I want to go with you. Can we just forget how terrible everything is right now an just enjoy each others company?" He says, his voice edgy with emotion. 

Suddenly, you kiss him hard, forcefully, as if your trying to express to him every feeling you've felt towards him this summer. He kisses back quickly, pressing you against of the side of his bed. 

You get up, and crash on to the top of his bed, swiftly pulling him on top of you. You feel all of him, pressed up against you, and inhale his scent, there's his shampoo, his soap, and that extra something that is just him. Oh how you've missed this. His lips taste like chocolate from the honeydukes treats you'd been feasting on earlier, and face has the slightest bit of stubble and it rubs your skin but you don't care, you don't care at all. He feels wonderful. His hands are everywhere, and it doesn't matter that his mouth is already on top of yours, you want him closer, closer, closer.

A knock at the door. 

Peter jumps off of you and launches himself onto the floor, and the door swings open, revealing Ned and Michelle. 

You are bright red, trying to hide your complete and utter embarrassment, and messy hair and clothes.

Ned and Michelle exchange a glance, "Did we...interrupt something...?"

Peter looks up at them from the floor, "Whatttt, psh, no way, dude." 

They look at you, and you nod quickly.

Michelle raises an eyebrow, "Well...we're going to head to the guest rooms. We just wanted you guys to know we arrived. Uh, goodnight." They both wave and close the door.

You glare at Peter, "Thanks for locking the door, genius."

He grins, "Yeah yeah...now scoot, make room." He curls up next you and snuggles into your neck, laying his head on your chest. 

You yawn, "I'm still not ready for us to be together again. I just...don't want you to get your hopes up." You gently stroke his hair.

"That's okay. I stand by what I said at the end of the year. I'll be waiting for you." Peter closes his eyes.

You smile and stay silent for a moment, "I love you." You mutter, but he's already asleep.  
_

The shop is utter madness: Ever-Bashing Boomerangs whip through the air, Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start No-Heat fireworks spit sparks, and Nose-Biting Teacups bare tiny porcelain teeth. 

Wanda and Pietro Maximoff stand upon a counter, selling to the masses. 

"Step up! Step up!" Wanda shouts.

"We've got Fainting Fancy, Nosebleed Nougats..." Pietro lists.

"And just in time for school...Puking Pastilles!" They say in unison.

Suddenly the two drop down on either side of you, and begin to steer you through the store.

"What'd you think, _____?" Pietro asks.

"Amazing." You nod. 

You eye a display of orange and black lumps, "Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder?"

"Its definitely worth the money. Very handy if you need to make a quick escape. Hello, ladies!" Pietro drops one of the lumps in your hand, and turns to Penni and Michelle, who peruse a display of "Wonder Witch Love Potions."

"Yes, they do really work." Wanda assures then.

"Then again, _______, are you sure you don't want some of this?" Pietro asks, plucking a vial of love potion from the shelve. 

You look at him in confusion, "Uh, meaning?"

"Didn't you and lover boy Parker cut it off at the end of last year?" 

"Well you see, it's none of your business." You say sarcastically.

Pietro puts his hands up defensively, and then Michelle turns to him. 

"These are adorable." She grins, and holds up a cage, inside, small a round ball of fluff rolls about, and squeaks.

Pietro blushes, "Aren't they now? Pygmy Puffs. Can't breed them fast enough. That one seems quite taken to you, why don't you have it?" 

Michelle looks sad, "Oh I can't, my parents only gave me enough money for school supplies." 

Pietro laughs, "No, no. I meant like, you can have it, Michelle. Free of charge." 

Her face lights up, "Really? Thanks Pietro! But should inform you, giving things away for free is not a very sound business plan." 

He blushes again and she walks away with the Pygmy Puff. 

You think for a moment, "I didn't know you guys were friends. That's good." 

Wanda pats you on the shoulder, "You are so clueless." 

Pietro shrugs, "What do you expect, she didn't notice Peter was madly in love with her for about four years."

You look at the two of them an blink slowly, "...I'm still confused as to what you guys are alluding to." 

Just then Peter taps you on the shoulder, "C'mon. Let's go."

The two of you head for the door, passing a redheaded girl, who smiles flirtatiously at an oblivious Peter.

"Hi, Peter." She says.

"Hi, Mary Jane." He waves back .

You walk outside, the sun fades over an iron archway as you and Peter pass beneath. All around you, shops sit silent, windows boarded-up or shattered. People scurry by, avoiding the terrifying faces of the witches and wizards who peer out from the security posters plastered to every lamp post. 

Proxima is there: "known C.O.T.," And Victor Creed: "Werewolf." And Adrien Toomes "Caught."

You turn to Peter, "How are Wanda and Pietro  
doing it? Half the alley's closed down."

"I think people need a laugh these days." Peter says.

"I reckon you're right..." You frown, eying the poster of Proxima, and her mocking half- smile.

"Oh no. Look." Peter points.

You follow his finger to the wreck that is Ollivander's Wand Shop.

"But everyone got their wands from Ollivander. Young. Old..." Peter goes off.

You nod, "Good. Bad. Speaking of which..." 

Across the avenue, Liz Allen and her mother pause, glance around, then slip quickly down an alley.

"Is it just me? Or do Lizzy and mother look like two people who don't want to be followed?" Peter says.  
_

The two of you trail Liz and her mother, who navigate the dark streets of Knockturn Alley with ease.

You and Peter duck inside a shop front. At the end of the alley, a single shop glimmers dully: Borgin & Burkes. Liz and her mother enter, and greet a stooped man. Liz walks to a lacquered cabinet, and places her fingers over its glassy surface. Then she hesitates, and follows her mother into the back room. 

"What're they doing?" Peter asks. 

"I'm not sure. Let's get closer." 

Peter nods.

You creeps to the end of a narrow passage, and finds yourself behind Borgin & Burkes. Peeking through one of the windows, a group of people encircle an old cauldron, among them Victor Creed, Proxima Midnight, Liz's mom, and in the very center, Liz. You squint, Liz extends her left arm, and you feel the touch of someone's hands on your arm. You wheel, it's just Peter. 

"Good god!" You whisper.

"Oops, Sorry." Peter smiles nervously. 

Just then, the cauldron explodes with light. Instantly, the group, including Liz, disperses.

"What just happened?" Peter asks.

"I...I don't know." You murmur, and stare at the smoke drifting from the cauldron.  
_

You, Peter and Michelle sit together on the train. Michelle has a book entitled Advance Rune Translation open on her lap, while Peter is playing with the fabric of your invisibility cloak.

You glance over at him, "Don't you see, it was a ceremony. An initiation."

"Stop, ____, I know where you're going with this—" Peter says. 

"It's happened. She's one of them." You nod.

"One of what?" Michelle says, glancing up from her book. 

"______ is under the impression that Liz Allen is now a Child of Thanos." Peter tells her.

"You're crazy. What would You-Know-Who want with a coward like Liz?" Michelle scoffs.

You roll your eyes, "So what's she doing in Borgin and  
Burke's? Browsing for furniture?"

"It's a creepy shop. She's a creepy girl." Peter shrugs.

"Look. Her father's a Child of Thanos. It only makes sense. Besides, you saw it too Peter. With your own eyes." 

"I told you. I don't know what I saw." He frowns.

You rise, and snatch the cloak from Peter's hands, "I need some air."  
_

A blood-red sun shimmers through the windows, staining the interior a deep scarlet. Students read, play cards. As you enter the next car, two Slytherin girls emerge. You watch them walk by when a voice causes you to turn back. As the accordion doors slowly close, you spy Liz sitting with Flash Thompson and a boy with the cheekbones of a sphinx.

You study Liz for a moment and when a boy pushes through the accordion doors, you reach into your pocket and remove the instant darkness powder Pietro gave you in Diagon Alley. 

You eye Liz, and the closing door and impulsively pitch the lump into the air. It soars through the narrowing crease of the doors and just as Liz glances your way, just as it reaches the apex of its flight, it explodes softly, raining dark powder all throughout the air.

Then, like a thinning mist, the darkness eerily recedes, the red light of dusk returns. You, now invisible, climb up onto the luggage rack right above Liz's table. 

"What just happened? Brad?" Liz turns to the boy.

"Don't know." Brad says tensely. 

Just then, you accidentally hit the bag next to you and then tumbles from a luggage rack. Liz wheels, and eyes the bag.

"Relax. The lights went out is all. Come, Liz. We'll be at Midgards before you know it." Flash calls her over.

You sigh silently in relief.

He pats the seat. Liz eyes the bag, and slings it back onto the luggage rack, nearly avoiding hitting you and plops down.

"Midgards. What a pathetic excuse for a school. I think I'd pitch myself off the Astronomy Tower if I thought I had to continue on for another two years." Liz scoffs.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Flash asks. 

"Let's just say I don't think you'll be seeing me wasting my time in Charms Class next year." She says dryly.

Confused, Flash glances at Brad, who snorts derisively.

"Amused, Brad? We'll see just who's laughing in the end." She says darkly. 

Brad shakes his head, smiling as he looks out the window.  
_

The train stops, and as Brad and Flash make to exit, Liz grabs the small bag next to you and grips the handle thoughtfully.

"You two go on. I want to check something." 

Her friends leave, the two of you are alone. She slides shut the door, and closes the blinds. All is quiet for a moment.

"Didn't mommy ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop, Marvel? Petrificus Totalus!" Liz wheels, and points her wand at the luggage rack. 

Your body hits the ground with a thump. The Invisibility Cloak slips away and reveals your body, paralyzed on the floor. Liz grins.

"Oh, right, she was dead before you could wipe the drool off your chin." Liz brings her boot down hard on your face. 

Your nose breaks and blood begins gushing all over your mouth and chin, Liz snatches up the Invisibility Cloak, and pitches it over your frozen body.

She grins wickedly, "Enjoy the ride, Marvel."


	42. Felix Felicis

A blast of red light, hits your body. The Invisibility Cloak slithers off you, and you shoot up, blood trickling onto your clothes.

"Hello, _____." Wade says cheerfully.

"Wade! How'd you...?" You look at him in amazement.

"Oh, it's nothing, just Wrackspurts. Your head's full of  
them." He says sincerely.  
_

The castle glitters, you and Wade approach the castle gate. 

"I'm really sorry I made you miss the carriages, Wade." You frown, wiping blood from your nose.

"Eh, it's alright. I enjoyed our walk. It was like being with a friend."

"I am your friend, Wade." You smile. 

He ponders this for a moment, "That's nice."

Just then Professor Pym rushes forth clutching a long roll of parchment, "About time! I've been looking all  
over for you two. Names?"

You look at him in confusion, "Professor Pym, you've known me for five years."

"No exceptions, Marvel." He says sternly.

Wade turns and motions to the side, "Who are those people?"

You turn, and see Wade staring into the darkness, where shadows drift eerily, like ghosts.

"Aurors. For security." Professor Pym answers.

"It's a not a cane, you cretin. It's a walking stick." A voice calls.

You and Wade turn. Liz stands amidst a mountain of trunks and owl cages, watching Lee pass a long security detector over a walking stick.

"And what exactly would you be wanting with a walking stick?" Lee asks her.

"It was her father's." Laufeyson separates from the shadows. 

Liz eyes him warily, then snatches the stick from Lee, "Is my father's. He's not dead."

Laufeyson watches Liz carefully wrap the stick in felt, and lay it back inside her trunk.

"It's alright, Mr. Lee. I can vouch for Ms. Allen." Laufeyson nods.

Liz eyes Laufeyson warily again, then begins to slouch off, and catches you looking.

She snickers, "Nice face, Marvel." 

You put a hand to your nose, and watch Liz disappear into the darkness, trailed by Laufeyson.

Wade turns to you, "Would you like me to fix it?  
Personally I think you look a bit more bad-ass this way. But it's up to you." 

You tap your chin, "Have you ever fixed one? A nose." 

"Uh...No. But I have done several toes and how different are they really?" 

This does not fill you with confidence. Nevertheless...

You take a deep breath, "What the hell. Give it a go." 

"Episkey." Wade poises his wand over your nose and gives it a tap. It vibrates wildly and then, snaps into place.

You yell in pain, and then blink hard, "Well? How do I look?"

"Exceptionally ordinary." He grins.  
_

You enter the Great Hall, in the light of the hall, your blood-spattered face is probably quite the sight.

"Where've you been, _____? And what happened to your face?" Peter says placing a hand on your cheek.

You swat his hand away, "Nothing, later, later. What've I missed?"

Peter looks a bit stunned at your bluntness but Michelle quickly answers your question. 

"Sorting Hat urged us all to be brave and strong in these troubled times First Years seemed to enjoy it." She says, shoving her face with mashed potato. 

You nod, Peter conjures up a wet cloth, and wipes your face.

You blush suddenly awkward and take it from him, "Thanks..."

Just then, the light in the Hall begins to gently dim and all eyes turn to Strange, standing at the top of the Hall, ashen hand raised to the enchanted ceiling, where clouds respond to his gestures and shroud a gleaming full moon.

"What's happened to his hand?" Michelle mutters through a mouth full of potato's. 

"The very best of evenings to you! First off, please join me in welcoming the newest member of our staff, Professor Wong." Strange announces. 

Mild applause ensues. You clap perfunctorily, your eyes drifting to the entrance of the Hall as a pair of Aurors station themselves just outside.

"Professor Wong, I'm happy to say, has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master. Meanwhile the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts will be assumed by Professor Laufeyson."

This is greeted by stunned silence. Strange frowns, then attempts to generate something by clapping his hands once. A few Slytherins join in and some dim-witted First Years.

Now, as you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival tonight. You have a right  
to know why. Once there was a young man who, like you, sat in this very Hall. Walked this castle's corridors. Slept beneath its roof. He seemed, to all the world, a student like any other."

The Hall goes utterly silent.

"Which is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I am reminded of a sobering fact. Each day, every hour, this very minute perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle. But in the end, their greatest weapon remains...you."

You eye Liz, slouched low, lazily levitating a fork with her wand, as if Strange were unworthy of attention.

"Just something to keep in mind. Now, off to bed. Pip pip!" Strange shoos. 

"That was cheerful." Peter says sarcastically.  
_

A teeming mass of students fight their way to class on first day of term. You and Peter are sitting up on a ledge on your free period, deriving immense pleasure from the chaos.

"Marvel!" A stern voice calls.

Your smile droops. T'Challa beckons you over with a finger.

You turn to Peter and frown, "This can't be good."

Peter snickers as you make your way "upstream" to T'Challa.

"Enjoying yourself, are you?" He says. 

"Well, you see, I've got an free period this morning, Professor—" 

"So I noticed. I would think you'd want to fill it with Potions. Or is it no longer your ambition to become an Auror?" He glares.

"Oh! It is..or was. But I was told I had had to get an Outstanding in potions on my O.W.L.s—" 

"And so you did, when Professor Laufeyson was teaching Potions. However, Professor Wong is perfectly happy to accept N.E.W.T. students with 'Exceeds Expectations.'" 

You feign interest, "Really? Well...awesome. I'll  
head there straight away."

T'Challa nods, satisfied, "Good. And take Parker with you. He looks far too happy over there."  
_

Peter trails you toward an open door.

"But I don't want to take Potions!" He whines.

As you drag Peter inside, the other students turn in unison. Michelle frowns, and Mary Jane, seeing Peter, beams happily. 

You sniff the air, it smelt funny, it smelt like Peter's soap, overwhelmingly. 

Peter turns to you, "Did you have to wear so much perfume? The whole room smells like you!" 

"You're one to talk! The whole room smells like that soap you use!" You snip at him, and then walk into the sight of the class. 

"______! I was beginning to worry! And I see we've brought someone with us..." Wong smiles.

Peter smiles awkwardly, "Peter Parker, sir. But I'm awful at Potions, terrible actually, so I probably should just be going—" 

Wong shakes his head, "Nonsense, we'll sort you out. Any friend of ______'s is a friend of mine. Right then, books out—" 

You rub your neck awkwardly, "Um, sorry, sir, but I haven't got my book yet, neither has Peter. You see until this morning—" 

"Not to worry. You can get what you need from the cupboard." Wong says.

As you and Peter step to the cupboard, Wong resumes, gesturing to the cauldrons bubbling before him, "Now, as I was saying, I've prepared a few concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be? Yes, Miss...?"

"Jones, sir. That one there is Veritaserum. And that would be Polyjuice Potion. And that..."

You look in the cupboard, you and Peter find two textbook, one new, one shabby and soiled. Both you snatch for the new, when a box marked "Bezoars" tips.You make a grab for it, and Peter wrests free the new textbook and goes off grinning.

You frown and grab the ragged textbook, and walk back to the lesson. 

"...is Amortentia! The most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass new parchment—" Michelle blushes, stops herself. 

Wong puts a top on the caldron and the overwhelming smell of Peters soap disappears from the room. 

"Now Amortentia doesn't create actual love, of course. That's impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room." Wong turns, and looks at the students.

You look at Peter and Mary Jane is still staring at him dreamily, your eyes narrow at her.

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in that one." Mantis asks.

"Ah yes..." Wong steps to a small black cauldron, and begins to ladle a bit of golden liquid into a tiny vial, "What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little potion known as Felix Felicis. But it is more commonly referred to as Liquid luck."

A buzz runs through the class. Even Liz Allen perks up.

"Desperately tricky to make. Disastrous should you get it wrong. But brewed correctly, as this has been, it has remarkable powers. One sip and you will find that all your endeavors succeed... at least until the effects wear off." 

"But then why don't people drink it all the time?" Mantis asks.

"Because taken in excess it causes giddiness, recklessness and dangerous overconfidence." Wong shakes his head, sadly.

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" Brad asked

"Twice. Once when I was twenty-four. Once when I was fifty- seven. Two tablespoons taken at breakfast. Two perfect days..." Wong eyes the vial dreamily, adrift. Finally he blinks, "So. This is what I offer each of  
you today. One tiny vial of liquid luck...to the student who, in the hour that remains, manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death, the recipe for which can be found on page ten of your textbook."

Excitement seizes the class. 

Wong smiles knowingly, "You should know that in all the years of my previous tenure at Midgards, only once did a student brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. In any event— good luck." He sets the vial upon his desk, where it shimmers in a shaft of sunlight. 

You grin and open your book, then frown. The margins of the page before you are black with the tight scribbling of a previous owner.

The same creepy graffiti fills the next page as well, on and on throughout the book. Shaking you head, you run your finger under the first printed instruction:  
"Cut up one Sopophorous bean."

You take the silver dagger upon your desk, and poise it over the bean, and suddenly Peter's bean shoots across the room and bounces off Mantis's head. You survey the rest of the room: everyone is struggling to cut the resistant legume. 

You glance back to your book, and consider the instruction again. An arrow has been drawn from the word "Cut" to the margin, where a modification has been written in the tight scrawl: "Crush with blade—releases juice better."

You consider the dagger in your hand, then place the flat of the blade against the bean and press. Instantly, the protective parchment covering the desk runs red with juice.

"How did you do that?" Michelle asks quickly.

"Crush it. Don't cut it." You recite.

"No. The instructions specifically say to cut." She says vexedly. 

"No. Really—" You nod.

She shakes her head disapprovingly. 

You shrug, and lift the parchment and tip the juice into your cauldron. It hisses, then turns lilac, you grin.  
_

You, calm and collected, add one last ingredient, step back, done...

Michelle, hair up two feet in the air like a big brown cloud, glowers at you. 

Wong wends his way amongst the cauldrons, nodding with sympathy at the fiascos before him. Then, he stops, staring in disbelief at the pearly sheen of one bubbling potion.

"I-I t's perfect. So perfect I daresay one sip would kill us all! Your mother was a dab hand at potions, but this...My, my, what can't you do? Perhaps you will save us all in the end..." Wong mutters the last part quietly. 

Your smile fades.

Wong sighs pleasantly, "Here you are then, as promised. One bottle of Felix Felicis. Use it well."

Slowly, you reach out and take the glittering vial.  
_

You knock on the door to Strange's office. The door swings open and the interior of the office appears.

Strange glances over at you from his desk, "Good evening, _____. I see you got my message. Please come, sit." 

You step forward and glance over at Strange's office cabinets, the Pensieve is open, you eye it curiously, then sit.

"How are you?" Strange asks.

"Im fine, sir." You shrug. 

"Enjoying your classes? Professor Wong, I know, is very impressed with you." 

You laugh, "I think he overestimates my abilities, sir."

"Do you?" Strange asks.

"Definitely." You nod.

Strange smiles affectionately, and nods, "And what of your activities outside the classroom? Do they bring you joy?" 

You lift and eyebrow, "Sir?"

"You and Mister Parker seem to have resumed your closeness, I couldn't help but wonder..."

"Oh, no. I mean he's amazing. And we're best friends. But...no." You frown. 

"Forgive me, once more _____, I am merely a curious old man." Strange smiles faintly, shakes his head, and then rises out of his chair, "No matter, I'm sure you're wondering why I've summoned you here tonight. The answer lies here." 

Strange swings opens a cabinet above the Pensieve where doezens upon dozens of glittering vials stand like tiny glimmering soldiers.

"What you see before you are memories. In this case pertaining to one individual: Thanos. Or as he was known then...Santho." 

Strange reaches down with his damaged hand and removes a stoppered vial, dusty and veined with age.

"This vial contains a very particular memory— of the day I first met him. I'd like you to see it. If you would..." Strange extends his ashen hand and you rise, and gingerly take the vial and remove the cork. You tip the contents into the Pensieve. Strange nods and you lean into the iridescent liquid, your face breaking the surface...  
_

A horse-drawn milk cart rattles across a rain-swept street and a younger looking Strange appears in a black and gray suit. You were surprised to see him not sport his iconic red coat. You walk with with him along the street until he reaches a grim building surrounded by iron gates.

A skinny, sharp-featured woman, leads Strange down a drab corridor. Children's voice carry from an unseen courtyard, splashing and shrieking, in the midst of some game.

The woman turns to Strange, "I must confess to a bit of confusion upon receiving your letter, Mr. Strange. In all the years Santho's been here, he's never once had a family visitor. Frankly, I was stunned to find that someone knew of his existence." 

"I am not family. But his name has been known to me since birth." Strange says calmly. 

"I see..." The woman says. But she doesn't, not really. She stops, and frowns, "I think I should tell you. He's a  
funny boy— Santho. Odd. There have been incidents with the other children. Nasty things."

"Perhaps you could give me an example?" Strange asks. 

The woman starts to speak, then shakes her head, moves off. As Strange makes to follow, his eyes glance upon a photograph on the wall, old and yellowing, depicting a seaside scene of a sharp rock outcropping and a cave.

Strange and the woman stop in front of a door, and the woman knocks on it. 

It opens to small room, grim and shadowy. Santho, no more than 11 years old, sits atop a bed, hands in lap. The walls crawl with reflected rain, oozing like oil down a grimy window.

"You've got a visitor, Santho." The woman says, smiling weakly at him. 

Strange steps forward, and extends his hand, "How do you do, Santho." 

Santho eyes Strange briefly, and then looks away.

"Well, I'll leave you two to yourselves." The woman exits, then closes the door.

Strange studies Santho, then begins to tour the room. Carefully placed upon a low shelf are some odd souvenirs. A grouping of six gem stones, and then a wooden-carved creature. A book containing seven matches, seven brass keys...

Moving on, Strange passes a tall cabinet, tracing his fingers over its surface, as if the wood's grain were Braille, as if somehow "seeing" what lies within.

Then he pauses. Strewn on a small table are a grouping of seven drawings. A boy and girl, their faces anguished. A sea-swept cave. The same wooden-carved creature drawn haphazardly in black crayon. It looks oddly familiar...you push the thought out of your head and continue to look at the drawings, there's a drawing of same cave from the photograph. Strange begins to reach out...

"Don't." A small, yet serious voice demands. 

Strange stops and turns. And Santho is eyeing him coldly. 

"As you wish." Strange shrugs.

Santho looks away, and for the first time, you look at the boys hands. They are splayed, utterly still, interlaced with silky web, where a spider sits in his palm, knitting the silk back and forth.

"You're a doctor, aren't you?" Santho says.

Strange shakes his head, "No. I am a Professor." 

"I don't believe you. I hear Mrs. Cole talking, her and the rest of the staff. They want me looked at. They think I'm different." 

"Perhaps they're right" Strange suggests.

"I'm not insane." Santho says.

"Midgards is not a place for crazy people." 

Santho looks up, and cocks his head ever-so-slightly.

Strange thinks for a moment, "It's a school. A school of...magic." 

Santho stays looking, but says nothing.

"You can do things, can't you, Santho? Things the other children can't." 

He eyes Strange intensely, unblinking, and nods, "Yes."

"Tell me some of the things you can do." Strange asks gently. 

Santho looks at the spider dancing around in his palm, "I can make things move— without touching them. I can make animals do what I want without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me. I can make them hurt...if I want."

Strange studies him, then the boy looks up.

"Who are you?" Santho asks 

"I'm like you. Different."

Santho closes his hands and the web collapses, "Prove it."

It is not a request. Without breaking his gaze, Strange's eyes narrow ever-so-slightly and the wardrobe bursts into flames. 

Santho wheels, then slowly smiles. Abruptly, the wardrobe begins to shake. Santho's smile fades.

Strange's face goes cold, I think there is something trying to get out of your wardrobe. Open it."

Terrified, Santho steps to the burning wardrobe and throws open the door. On the topmost shelf, above a rail of threadbare clothes, a small box shakes violently.

"Take it out." Strange commands.

As Santho's fingers touch the box, the flames engulfing the wardrobe vanish, but the box continues to shake, the only sound in the now-silent room.

"Is there anything in that box you ought not to have?" Strange asks. 

Santho eyes Strange, very fearfully this time. He spills the contents of the box onto the bed: a yo-yo, a silver thimble, and a tarnished harmonica.

"Why did you want these things, Santho?" 

Santho thinks for a moment, "I like having things that belonged to other people. It makes me feel...close to them."

Strange studies his profile, and ponders this, "Thievery is not tolerated at Midgards. At Midgards, you will be taught not only how to use magic, but to control it. Understood?"

Strange finishes as Santho nods, "I'll be going now. Leave your window open tonight. An owl will bring you a message. Read it carefully." 

Strange starts to exit, when: 

"I can speak to snakes too." Santho blurts out.

Strange stops and you look his face, and then back at Santho's.

"They find me. Whisper things. Is normal. For someone like me?"

"It is unusual. But not unheard of." Strange exits then, without a backward glance, leaving 11-year-old Santho Molrida alone. The world around your shutters and your surroundings reappear, you gaze at Strange, the room has grown dim in your absence.

"Did you know, sir? Then?" You ask.

"Did I know that I had just met the most dangerous Dark Wizard of all time? No. Had I..." Strange falters, his expression troubled. You look up from the Pensieve, where young Santho's fragmented face floats on the surface, and eyes Strange.

"Over time, while here at Midgards, Santho grew close to particular teacher. Can you guess which teacher that might be?"

"You didn't bring Professor Wong back to teach Potions, did you?" You frown. 

"No. I did not. You see, Professor Wong possesses something I desire very dearly. And he will not part with it easily..." he eyes you knowingly, "I'd rather not divulge any more just yet, _____. But I promise. In time you will know everything."

You think for a second, "You said Professor Wong would try to collect me."

"I did." Strange nods. 

"Do you want me to let him?" You question.

Strange trails his ashen fingers in the surface of the Pensieve, vanquishing Santho's face.

"Yes."  
_

You try with little success, to get the attention of the throng of aspiring Quidditch players assembled on the pitch.

"All right! Queue up! Excuse me! Guys...SHUT IT!" You shout.

Instant silence. 

You frown at your brashness, but continue nevertheless, "Thanks. All right. This morning I'll be putting you all through a few drills to assess your strengths. But know this: Just because you made the team last year does not guarantee you a spot this year. Is that clear?"

Peter looks unnerved at this, sweating so much he's attracted flies, and a boy named Eddie Brock who was also going for keeper approaches him, and the two have a brief conversation. 

Suddenly, Eddie gives a lewd wink at you, then saunters off. You blush and turn around.   
_

During try outs your fly around swiftly, watching from above with ease. Moments later, two second years collide in mid-air.

Eddie makes a confident save.

Peter makes a shaky save.

You look on, nervous for him.

Mantis snatches a Quaffle with one hand, splits two defenders beautifully and makes a slick blind pass to Luke Cage who jets high in the air, then lets the Quaffle roll off his fingers, right into Valkyrie's hands as she races below.

Remy LeBeau sends a Bludger rocketing into the stands, scatters a group of onlookers, leaving only Ned, who sidles delicately to the right as the others leg it.

Two aspiring Beaters "whiff" on a pair of Bludgers, whack each other instead and plummet to the pitch as the Bludgers ricochet off one another and go flying into the stands, scattering onlookers yet again. 

Now, survivors press ice packs to their heads, and run medical tape around twisted fingers. Only Peter, hovering at the west goal, and Eddie, hovering at the east, remain on the pitch.

"All right." you nod, "Eddie. Peter. It's down to you two for Keeper. We'll decide it with a shootout. Valkyrie, you'll bring the Quaffle up against Eddie. I'll take on Peter."

"Hang on. You're practically married to him. How do I know you won't toss him a floater?" Eddie scoffs.

You roll your eyes, "Piss off, Eddie. How about I  
toss you a floater? Now quiet! I'm Captain. We do it my way. Now line up. On three. One. Two...Three!"   
You and Valkyrie rocket forth. Peter weaves nervously while Eddie hovers in place, a confident sneer on his face.

"C'mon, Peter..." you mutter under your breath. 

Valkyrie hunkers over her broom once again, flying like an arrow, then goes into a wide, sweeping slide. You blast over the pitch, then roll recklessly to the side. As one, you and Valkyrie both let the Quaffles fly.

Eddie, at the last moment, however, inexplicably rolls his broom to the right and the Quaffle sails over his shoulder. Peter, zig-zagging crazily, nearly falls off, rights himself in a panic, and deflects your Quaffle with his forehead. 

As a few partisan cheers erupt from the stands, you grin, then remember to restrain yourself.   
_

You scan your Potions book. Peter peruses the Prophet, and Michelle cracks walnuts, then pitches the pieces into the fire.

"Have to admit, I thought was going to miss that last   
one." Peter laughs. 

Michelle rolls her eyes, like she knows something he doesn't. 

"You know, _____..." Peter glances at you, "He has a thing for you, Eddie." 

You glare at him, "He's vile." You continue to read, "Ever heard of this spell?"

You point to a notation in the margin underlined three times: "Sectumsempra. For Enemies." 

Michelle frowns, "No I haven't. And if you had any self-respect you would turn that book in." 

"Not likely. She's top of the class. She's even better than you, Michelle. Professor Wong thinks she's a genius." Peter points out. 

Michelle casts him a withering glance.

"What?" He says defensively. 

Michelle gets up with an angry stomp, "I'd like to know just whose book that was. Let's take a look, shall we?"

She goes to snatch it out of your hands, but you hold it out of reach, "No."

"Why not?" Michelle says suspiciously. 

"It's...uh, old. The binding is— it's fragile." You snap.

"The binding is fragile?" Michelle mocks. 

She makes another grab for it, but you hold it clear out of reach. Then Peter appears behind you and plucks it out of your hand.

He opens it and looks inside the cover, Who's the Half-Blood Prince?" 

"The who?" Michelle asks. 

Peter points to a line of text, "That's what it says. Right here. 'This Book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince.'"


	43. Jealousy

You and your friends lean into a bitter wind, trudging through deep snow.

"For weeks you carry around this book, practically sleep with it...and you have no desire to find out who The Half-Blood Prince is?" Michelle asks.

You roll your eyes, "I didn't say I wasn't curious.  
And, by the way, I don't sleep with it." 

Peter laughs sarcastically, "Yeah. Right."

You glare at him. 

"Well, it's true. I liked a having a nice talk in the common room before we went to bed. Now you're always reading that book. It's like being with  
Michelle." 

This time it's Michelle's turn to glare, "Well, I was curious. So I went to—"

"The library." You and Peter say in unison. 

"And?" You ask. 

She huffs, "And... nothing. There's no reference to a Half-Blood Prince anywhere."

"Good. That settles it then." You grin.

Michelle starts to object, when:

"Hey guys!" Bruce emerges out of the trees, behind him, deep in the woods, dark silhouettes (Aurors) can be seen.

"What've you got there, Bruce?" Michelle points to the burlap bag he's carrying. 

He tips open the bag, and the three of you grimace.

"Stinksap. So much of it, the trees are full of it this time of year." 

"Stinksap? You're not sick, are you?" You question. 

"It's not for me. It's for Aragog. You remember Aragog, don't you?" 

Michelle looks confused, but you and Peter shutter with fear. She had been petrified when you and Peter made your visit to the King of the Arachnids nearly four years ago.

"Spider? About six feet tall? Ten feet wide?" Peter frowns. 

"That's the one. He's very sick. I'm hoping I can save him. Keep your fingers crossed." Bruce crosses his fingers. 

You and Peter force grins, and do the same. Peter shakes his head as Bruce disappears back into the trees.

"Does he not remember that beast and his kids tried to eat us? What?" Peter sees Michelle staring at the Aurors again.

Michelle looks distant, "The Aurors. I know they're here to protect us, but...I don't feel any safer."

Just then you spy Professor Wong, heading down towards the Village, passing a weary Professor Pym coming the other way.

"Hank! I was hoping to find you at the Three Broomsticks." Wong grins.

"Emergency choir practice, I'm afraid, Wong." Pym continues marching along toward the castle. 

You watch Wong continue on towards Midsmeade.

Your eyebrow raises, "Who's up for a Butterbeer?"  
_

As the three of you enter, you glance around, and locate Wong at the bar, planted plumply on a stool.

"No. Over here." You call.

Peter and Michelle, in the midst of seating themselves at a perfectly acceptable (and clean) table, watch you seat yourself at a table with the trash of a previous customer, however the table puts you in direct view of Professor Wong. 

The two of them exchange a glance, shrug, sit with you. Peter starts to take the chair directly opposite to you, blocking your view.

You furrow your eyebrows together, "No, no. Sit next to me."

Peter stops and blushes, "O-kay."

A waitress in an apron appears, and tosses a rag upon the table which begins to wipe the surface on its own. 

You glance at the waitress, it was your classmate, Mary Jane Watson. You crane your neck around her to keep Professor Wong in view.

"What'll we have?" Mary Jane asks the table, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder. You snap back to reality, and eye her hand. 

Peter swallows hard, "Uh, Three Butterbeers. Extra cream in mine please." 

She whistles and the rag leaps back into her pocket, as she walks to the counter she winks at Peter.

Peter gets up, "I'm going to the bathroom." 

As soon as he walks away you turn to Michelle.

"I'd like to leave." You mutter, practically steaming with jealousy. 

Michelle looks at your glowering face, "Oh, honestly. She's just flirting." 

"He happens to be my boyf— agh! My...ex-boyfriend..."

"So? What if she looked over here and saw you and Peter making out on the table? Would you expect her to go crazy and leave?"

"No...but only because she works here." You say sarcastically.

Then, "_____!" 

Wong's voice booms so loudly even Mary Jane jumps and catches your glare. As Wong waddles over, his sloshing mug in hand, you rise immediately, an action so out of character for you that even Michelle regards you with amused curiosity. Peter walks back from the bathroom and takes a seat next to her.

"Hello, sir. Wonderful to see you." You beam happily.

You watch Michelle, brow wrinkling, turn to Peter, and silently mouth: "Wonderful to see you?"

You ignore her mocking, "So what brings you here, sir?"

"Oh, the Three Broomsticks and I go back. Longer than I'd care to admit. In fact, I remember when it was One Broomstick!" As Wong guffaws, you join in, laughing heartily as well. Wong hands his mug to you and it sloshes onto Mary Jane who had just come over to hand the table their drinks. 

"Oops! All hands on deck, Watson!" Wong laughs.

You laugh nervously as Mary Jane looks angrily at you, and she whistles and the rag appears, cleaning her apron. She slides three foaming mugs onto the table and then walks away. 

Wong turns to you, "Listen. In the old days, I used to throw together the occasional dinner party and invite a handful of select students. Would you be interested?" 

"I would consider it an honor, sir." You grin.

"You'd be welcome too, Jones, Parker." He nods to the pair of them. 

Peter nods, but Michelle, in the midst of emptying her Butterbeer in one long draw, slams down her mug, leaving behind a "mustache."

She swallows quickly, "I'd be grateful, sir."

"Look for my owl." He says to the three of you, and then exits. 

"What are you doing?" Peter says curiously. 

"Strange's asked me to...get to know him." You nod.

"Get to know him?" Peter asks. 

"I don't know. But it must be important. Otherwise Strange wouldn't ask"  
_

The snow falls heavily now. You and Peter walk together, while Michelle trails several yards behind, letting snowflakes coat her face.

"You don't know what it could be!" A voice shouts.

Up ahead, Mantis and Valkyrie stand in the drifting snow, arguing. Mantis is shaking around a slender package.

Michelle comes bumping up, and drapes her arms over you and Peter, "What's up?"

At that very instant, Mantis rises six feet into the air, hair dancing violently in the wind, her face remains eerily placid. Then she screams, a horrific, piercing scream. 

You and Peter dash forward and seize her ankles. At your touch, she collapses to the snow, thrashing and gagging, eyes rolled into her skull.

"I warned her! I warned her not to touch it!" Valkyrie cries.

You glance over, lying in the snow is the package, torn open.

"______, she's swallowing her tongue—" Peter gasps.

"I'll get someone—" Michelle starts.

You grab her shoulder, "There's no time!" 

A figure emerges out of all the white snow: Bruce.

"Get back! All of you!" He says this so forcefully that everyone instantly obeys. Effortlessly, he transforms into Hulk and scoops up Mantis' thrashing body 

Mantis' eye lids flutter and her body goes limp.

"Don't touch that, except for the wrapping. Got it?" Hulk nods darkly to the package in the snow. 

You kneel, and poking through the paper is an opal and gold necklace. You take off your scarf and carefully enfold the package and rise. Then, along with the others, you watch Hulk lumber off, Mantis cradled in his arms. In seconds the two of them are swallowed by the snow. 

The only sound is the roar of the wind.  
_

The necklace lies gold and glittering upon T'Challa's desk.

"You're sure Mantis did not have this package when she entered the Three Broomsticks, Valkyrie?" T'Challa asks.

"It's like I said. She went to the bathroom when she came back she had the package. She said it was important she deliver it." 

"Did she say who she was delivering it to?" 

Valkyrie shakes her head.

"All right, Val. You may go." T'Challa frowns, and the turns to you as Valkyrie exits. "Why is it when something bad happens it is always you three?"

Peter frowns, "Believe me, Professor, I've been asking myself the same question for nearly six years." 

Just then, Professor Laufeyson appears at the door, and eyes the three of you.

"Loki." T'Challa greets.

"Is this it?" He responds. 

T'Challa nods. Laufeyson takes his wand, and lifts the necklace like a vial of poison. Then eyes it with fascination.

"What do you think?" T'Challa asks.

"I think Mantis is lucky to be alive." Laufeyson mutters.

"She was cursed, wasn't she?" You blurt out, everyone turns to you, "I know Mantis. Off the Quidditch pitch she wouldn't hurt a fly. If she was bringing that to someone, she wasn't doing it on purpose." 

Laufeyson eyes you levelly.

"Yes. She was cursed." T'Challa says grimly. 

Your mouth seems to move on it's own, "It was Liz."

T'Challa looks taken aback, "That's a very serious accusation."

"Indeed. Your evidence?" Laufeyson snaps. 

You clear your throat, "I... just...know."

"You...just...know? Once again you astonish with your gifts, Marvel, gifts mere mortals could only dream of hack. How grand it must be to be the Chosen One." 

Peter and Michelle avert their eyes uncomfortably.

"I suggest you return to your dorms. All of you." T'Challa sighs.  
_

You and Michelle lie awake in the darkened dormitory. She stares at the ceiling. You eye "Elizabeth Allen" on the Marauder's Map.

"Why do you think Mary Jane likes Peter?" Michelle says. 

"What isn't there to like. He's great. Mary Jane isn't bad looking I wouldn't be surprised..." you stop yourself. 

Michelle's eyebrows widen, "You wouldn't be surprised if what?" 

You clear your throat, "I wouldn't be surprised it he liked her too..." 

She cackles in astonishment, "You called her a slick, crazy, idiot less than five hours ago."

"Yeah, well, she was running her eyes all over my ex, wasn't she? Something snaps. You've got to hate her. You know, on principle." 

Michelle shake her head, "I suppose." 

"So what is it? She sees in him?" Michelle asks. 

You blush, "I don't know. He's smart. Funny. Attractive...good kisser. You know. He's... got nice...skin." You mutter.

"Skin? You're saying Mary Jane likes Peter because of his skin?" She looks at you like you've got three heads.

"Well, no. I mean...I'm just saying it could be a contributing factor." 

Silence. 

"Pietro's got nice skin. Right? As skin goes, I mean." She murmurs.

You're eyes widen, "I've never really thought about  
it. But I suppose, yeah..."

Another silence. 

Suddenly it feels weird, "I think I'll be going to sleep now." You say awkwardly.


	44. What Are We

Wong stands at the head of a table, goblet raised to the students seated before him, which in addition to you, and Michelle include Eddie Brock, Brad Davis, Ned Leeds and a few others. 

"To Midgards best and brightest!" 

Michelle exchanges a wry glance with you, and you notice one setting is empty, Peter's seat. He said he was coming, and it wasn't like him to be late...

Ned stares hopelessly at the vast array of forks, knives and spoons placed beside his plate, "Which one do I use for the soup?" Ned says nervously. 

You laugh and hand him the most normal looking spoon. You look up, only to receive a wink from Eddie.

"So tell me, Eddie. See much of your father these days?" Wong asks. 

Eddie frowns, "No, sir. He's been serving the Minister. Although I'm supposed to see him over the holiday."

"Well, be sure to give him my best. What about your uncle, Mr. Davis? Working on anything new? For those of you who don't know, Brad's uncle invented the Wolfsbane Potion."

Brad shrugs, adjusting his emerald and silver tie, "I'm not sure. My dad and him don't get along." 

"And you, Miss Jones? What does your family do in the Muggle world?" 

Michelle raises her eyebrows, "My mom...well uh, my mom is a dentist. She's tend to people's teeth." 

"Amazing. And is that considered a dangerous profession?" Wong says. 

"Um, No. Though, a boy did bite my mother once. She needed ten stitches." 

There is an uncomfortable silence for a moment, as no one besides you, Ned and Michelle understand exactly what a dentist is. As Wong nods, the door groans and everyone turns. 

"Mister Parker! Come in, come in."

"Sorry, I'm not ordinarily late—" he says flustered, his hair disheveled, his collar unbuttoned, and his tie loose. 

"No matter. You're just in time for dessert." Wong waves causally.

As Peter moves to his seat, Michelle whispers to you, "Look at his neck."

You glance at his neck just before he buttons his collar, a faint purple hickey. 

_

"Thank you everyone, for a very stimulating evening. We'll have to do it again." Wong closes the door, turns, sends a floor lamp wobbling.

You swiftly catch it and place it right side up, he glances at you.

"Oh. Marvel." 

"Sorry, sir, I was just admiring your hourglass." You smile softly.

"Ah, yes. A very intriguing object. The sand runs in accordance to the quality of the conversation. When it is stimulating, the sands run slow. When it is not, well..."

"Oh then, I think I'll be going." You laugh.

"Nonsense. You have nothing to fear. As for some of your classmates, well, let's just say, they're unlikely to make the shelf." Wong chuckles. 

Wong steps to a makeshift bar, and begins to construct a drink.

You cock an eyebrow, "The shelf, sir?"

Wong gestures to the photographs you'd seen earlier when you'd first met him, but now they're ranged like a menagerie atop a low bookcase. Once again, the pictures of your mother are up front.

"Anyone who aspires to be anyone hopes to end up here. Then again...you are already someone aren't you, ______?" Wong says. 

You flinch, "I don't really know how to answer that, sir."

"Your mother was modest too. Your father not so much. As you can see, he did not make the shelf." Wong smiles genially, turns back to his drink, using a pair of tongs to drop ice into his glass.

"Did...Thanos ever make the shelf, sir?" You ask.

Wong stiffens, his back to you. His hand trembles and the ice slips from the tongs.

"You knew him, didn't you, sir? Santho.You were his teacher." 

"Santho had many teachers while here at Midgards." Wong frowns.

"What was he like?"

You can see the vein in Wong's temple pulsating.   
Fearing you may have overstepped...

"I'm sorry, sir. Forgive me. He killed my parents, you see..." You stop and frown sadly. Wong turns, and studies you, then nods.

"Of course. Well, it's only natural that you should want to know more. I'm afraid I must disappoint you, _____. When I first met Santho, he was simply a quiet, albeit brilliant, person committed to becoming a first-rate wizard. Not unlike the others I've known. In fact, not unlike...well, you...if the monster existed, it was buried deep within."

A grain trickles through the hourglass.   
_

Peter enters the Great Hall, eyes lowered, knuckles taped for Quidditch, flexing his fingers anxiously as he makes for the Gryffindor table. Frowning, he drops down opposite you and Michelle. You eye him briefly, the memory of the hickey passing your brain, but you shake it away and push a plate across. Peter takes a fork, and pokes at it glumly.

"So. How was it?" You say distastefully.

He continues to pick at his breakfast, unaware of your mood, "How was what?"

"Your little make out session with, and I'm only guessing, Mary Jane."

"W-What? I didn't...I didn't make out with Mary Jane. And- and even if I did it's none of your business, _____. You've made it pretty clear that I'm not your boyfriend anymore." 

You roll your eyes.

Peter frowns, "How was the party anyway?"

"Dead boring." groans Michelle, "Though I think Eddie enjoyed ______'s company." 

Your eyes shift, to find Michelle smiling faintly from behind the Prophet.

"Ya know, Wong's having a Christmas party, Peter. And we're meant to bring someone..." you mutter. 

"I expect you'll be going with Eddie." Peter snaps. 

You scoff, "Actually, I was going to ask you." 

He looks sad now, "Wait...you were really gonna ask me?"

"Yes, really. But seeing as I've made it so clear I don't want you to be my boyfriend—" 

"Good luck today, Peter! I know you'll be amazing!" Mary Jane shouts from the entrance to the Great Hall. 

Peter smiles feebly, and looks back down at his plate. You stare daggers at her.

"I'm resigning. After today's match. Eddie can have my spot." Peter says, voice wobbly.

Hearing this, you turn back, "Well, have it your way. Juice?"

Michelle blinks, surprised by your callousness. Peter is surprised as well— and mildly put out.

"Sure..." Peter mutters.

As you pour, Wade arrives at the table wearing a hat that bears an uncanny resemblance to a real lion.

"Hola, friends. Goddamn, you look horrible, Peter." Wade says, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"Oh thanks." Peter says sarcastically, the nods grimly, lifts his glass. Wade turns to you.

"Is that why you just put something in his cup. Is it medicine? Or are you just trying to drug him." Wade cocks his head to the side. 

The tiny vial of Felix Felicis glints in your palm.

"Don't drink that, Peter!" Michelle shouts. 

But Peter's frozen in mid-sip, looking at your palm too. Quickly, he gulps down the rest.

"You could be expelled for that." Michelle gasps. 

I don't what you're talking about." You say seriously, pocketing the vial and winking at Wade. 

Peter rises, "C'mon, _____. We've got a game to win."  
_

Instantly, Slytherin snatches the Quaffle and rushes en masse toward Gryffindor's end, weaving and passing with wicked skill, culminating in a vicious, slicing shot on goal. Just when it appears it will clear the hoop, Peter streaks out of nowhere and sends the Quaffle screaming in the opposite direction. 

Valkyrie pauses on her broom, stunned, "What's gotten into him?" 

She glances up at you, circling high above. Just then, Luke Cage streaks by: "Let's go!"

Instantly, Valkyrie rolls backward, jets off and races down her fellow Chasers. Flying in spread formation, Luke, on the far wing, starts the Quaffle "up the line" until it lands in Valkyrie's hand.

Pitching herself into a wide slide to avoid a pair of whistling Bludgers,Valkyrie leans recklessly off her broom and whips the Quaffle through the goal untouched.

As the crowd screams, your eye the Gryffindor section, where Wade's lion hat roars (despite being a Ravenclaw Wade's support was still uplifting), and Mary Jane claps for Peter. You roll your eyes supremely annoyed, but look at your team and grin, then jet off.  
_

The room teems with students celebrating Gryffindor's victory. It feels like Mardi Gras. Or a mosh pit. Or a riot. And Peter is right smack in the middle of it.

"Parker! Parker! Parker!" The crowd yells.

Grateful back and shoulder slaps are enough for you as you sit on the periphery, smiling as you sip a Butterbeer and enjoy Peter's turn in the spotlight.

"Peter seems to be enjoying himself." Michelle smiles. 

"Yep. Apparently it's his lucky day." You grin.

"You shouldn't have done it, _____." She frowns.

"Yeah. I suppose I could've just used, I dunno... a Confundus charm?" 

She blushes, "You found out it was me? Well anyways, that was different. It was tryouts. This was an actual match—" She stops. You dangle the vial in front of her. 

The sealing wax is unbroken, the bottle full.

"Y-You didn't put it in?" She says dumbfounded,.

You nod.

"Peter only thought you did..."

You nod once more. She hits you playfully on the arm when suddenly loud whistles and catcalls rise. The two of you turn to see what the commotion is about and find, smack dab in the center of the room...

Peter and Mary Jane. 

In a clinch. 

Kissing. 

Your brain stops working, and you dart through the crowd through the portrait hole.  
_

You sit atop a desk, a small ring of gentle butterflies circling your head. The butterflies change color as they orbit, from sunny yellow to a dark, angry scarlet.

"It's...it's just a charms spell. Just practicing." You sniff as Michelle walks into the abandoned storage room. 

"Ah. Well...they're really good." She nods.

You study your wand, "How does it it feel? When you see Peter with me? I know, you still love him, Michelle. You're my best friend. I see how you look at him..." 

Just then the door to the storage room bursts open and Peter rushes in, pulling a giggling Mary Jane by the hand. They stop, and look at the two of you.

"Oops. I think this room's taken." Mary Jane giggles. 

As Mary Jane pulls Peter out, he turns and speaks softly to you, "What's with the butterflies?" 

Before anyone can reply, you rise and point your wand, "Oppugno."

Instantly the butterflies drop to the group and turn to spiders, and race like angry red bullets toward Peter, who flees instantaneously, slamming the door shut. 

As the spiders hit the door, they explode softly into small clouds and you cover your face and sob.

Michelle goes to you, hesitates, then tentatively drapes her arm over you. As you turn your face into her shoulder, she pulls you closer, watching as the last scarlet spider poofs away. 

"It feels like this."  
_

You trail Michelle through the stacks.

"He has the liberty to kiss whoever he likes. I really couldn't care less. Was I under the impression that we would be attending Wong's Christmas party together? Yes, it's true, I was. Of course, now, given the situation...I have zero backup. So I've had a thought."

Michelle nods and plucks a book off the shelf, "Have you now?"

"I just thought, you know, since neither one of us can take who we'd really like...maybe we'd go together. As friends." You smile. 

"Why didn't I think of that?" Michelle frowns.

"So who are you taking then?"

She shakes her head evasively, "Um...it's a surprise. Are you still going to Peters for Christmas?" 

"Yes. I mean. He's still my friend, and where else am I supposed to go? Surely not my aunt and uncles." 

Michelle shrugs, "Well, as for the Christmas party, it's you we need to worry about. And you can't pick just anyone. See that guy over there. That's Amadeus Cho. Rumor has it he's trying to slip you one of Wanda and Pietro's joke-shop love potions." 

"Really...?" You consider the fine-boned boy with raven hair. He is very handsome, an absolute work of...

"Hey!" Michelle snaps her fingers in your face, "He's only interested in you because he thinks you're the Chosen One. You know that, right?"

You smile cockily, "But I am the Chosen One."

Michelle rolls her eyes at you, exasperated.

You put you hands up defensively, "Okay. Kidding. Well...I'll just ask someone I like. Someone cool."  
_

Wade Wilson, decked out in a set of spangled crimson robes, and you, in basic black, make your way toward the strains of Christmas music, red lanterns lighting your way.

Wade turns to you, "I've never been to this part of the castle. At least not while awake. I sleepwalk, and get into sleep duels sometimes. And that's why I wear shoes to bed."   
_

The camera pops, and you smile with Wong before a photographer. The ceiling and walls are draped with hangings of emerald, crimson and gold, so the room feels like a tent, or perhaps the inside of a gift box. It is loud and packed with people.

"Oh my! Excuse me, _______. I must greet the new Minister of Magical Transportation." Wong pats you on the back, "Mingle! We're all friends here. And we all run the world." 

You watch Wong make a beeline across the room.

Your turn and notice a pair of girl's feet protruding from beneath a emerald curtain. Your gaze rises, and you find Michelle's brown face peeking out. You turn to check on Wade and he's talking to a small, bespectacled man about his fathers magazine. 

"What're you doing?" You ask, tugging on a lock of her hair from behind. 

Michelle yelps, turns, and pulls you behind the hanging. Her hair is slightly askew, her lipstick a bit blurry.

"Ummm...And what's happened to you?" You raise an eyebrow. 

"Hm? Oh, I've just escaped— I mean, left Brad Davis. Under the mistletoe."

"Brad! That's who you invited!" You laugh. 

"I dunno...we talked after Wong's dinner party. I thought he'd be nice but, he's completely annoying. He has no respect for a girl's personal space."

The two of you turn, and find a waiter peeking behind the curtain, tray in hand, "Dragon tartar?" 

"No thank you." The two of you say in unison. 

"That's probably a good idea. They give you horribly bad breath." The waiter laughs. 

Michelle grabs the tray, "On second thought— maybe it'll keep Brad at bay. Oh no, here he comes!" 

Michelle pops two of the Dragon blobs into her mouth, and shoves the tray into your hands and flits away. Brad walks behind the curtain and looks at you. 

"I think she just went to powder her nose." You grin nervously. 

You look past Brad's shoulder, out past the hanging and Wong laughing with a guest. Brad plucks a dragon blob off the tray in your hand, pops it into his mouth. 

"Your friend is a slippery little minx. Likes to talk too, doesn't she? Yak yak yak. What is this I'm eating, by the way?"

You grin mischievously, "Dragon balls." 

As Brad's face freezes, you start to head toward Wong when the curtain is swept aside, it's Laufeyson.

"What's going on back here?" He asks 

Brad vomits raw dragon all over Laufeyson's shoes. He surveys the damage, then his eyes rise darkly.

"You've just bought yourself a month's detention, Mr. Davis."

Brad dashes off. You make to follow.

"Not so quick, Marvel." He stops your shoulder. 

"I think I should rejoin the party, sir. My date..." you trail off. 

"...can surely survive your absence for another minute or two. Besides, I only wish to convey a message." 

"A message...?" You wonder. 

"From Professor Strange. He asked that I give you his best and that he hopes you enjoy your holiday. You see, he's traveling and won't return until term resumes." 

"Traveling? Where?" You ask.

Laufeyson merely stares a your silently, briefly, then exits. 

"Take your hands off me, you filthy squib!" A voice shouts. 

A frown overtakes Wong's face and he turns toward the source of the commotion, and exits your view. You emerges from the hanging, and find Liz in Mr. Lee's grip.

"Professor Wong. I've just discovered this girl lurking in an upstairs corridor. She claims to have been invited to your party."

"Okay, okay, I was gate-crashing. Happy?" Liz scowls.

"I'll escort her out." Laufeyson says. 

Liz's eyes shift, and regard Laufeyson. She shrugs free of Mr. Lee.

"Certainly...Professor." Liz says oddly.  
_

Peter sits on one side of the train compartment while and Michelle occupy on the other side. You sit placidly leafing through the Half-Blood Prince's potions book.

"Oh no." Peter mutters. 

There's at knock at the train compartment and Mary Jane stand outside the compartment door. Fogging the glass with her breath, she etches "Pete+Mary," then encircles it with a heart and, mimes "I miss you," and exits with a pout.

"Lovely." You scowl.

"All she wants to do is kiss. My lips are getting chapped. Look." Peter frowns, puckering his dry lips. 

"I'll take your word for it. I'm going to get some air." You walk out of the train compartment and eye the foggy decal on the door, smudging it half-heartedly with the sleeve of your shirt.


	45. So Much We Could Say

The house glows with light and holiday music rings from May's Muggle radio. Wanda and Pietro fill cups with hot chocolate and Aunt May and Peter are preparing plates of food for everyone.

"Eat up, everyone! There's more to come!" May smiles.

You sit in deep conversation with Peggy and Steve.

"Liz's plotting something, I overheard her and Laufeyson talking the night of Wong's Christmas party. I know it has something to do with Thanos. Liz has been given a task or a mission— and Laufeyson was offering to help."

"Thanos has chosen Elizabeth Allen for a mission?" Steve strokes his chin.

"I know it sounds...crazy..." you frown.

"Have you thought about maybe that Loki was simply pretending to offer Liz help so that he could find out what she's up to?" Steve suggests.

"That's not what it sounded like." You murmur.

Peggy chimes in, "Perhaps...______'s right, Steve. To make an Unbreakable Vow, after all—" 

"It just comes down to whether or not you trust Strange's judgement. He trusts Loki. And I trust Strange's choices." 

"But Strange can make mistakes. He's said it himself—" 

Steve stops you, "It seems you're blinded by hatred, _____." 

"I'm not." You say sharply. 

"You are. People are disappearing. Daily. We can only trust a handful of people. If we start fighting amongst ourselves...we're doomed." Steve looks at you sadly.

Peggy gives you a furtive glance, as if to say, "Leave it alone."   
_

"Hey." 

You turn only to find Peter, he's holding a plate in his hands, "Try it." He holds it towards you.

You hesitate and stare at the plate, there's a lone piece of pie.

Peter laughs quietly, "Whats wrong? Don't you trust me?" 

You oblige and take a bite of the of pastry, "It's good." 

"I made it myself." He smiles at you, "You have...a little something—" he takes his thumb as wipes some crumbs off the corner of your mouth. 

You blush, "Thanks." You place the plate down on the coffee table in front of you, and he sits next to you on the couch. It's quiet between you and Peter. And awkward.

You turn to him he's staring down at his feet. He's so beautiful in the light, you hated him. You hated his dumb smile and his silky hair and the little charms he would cast just to make you smile. But what you hated most about him was that he wasn't around anymore...

You place a hand on his shoulder, and his head turns, he looks at you, really looks at you, for the first time in weeks. You use your free hand to cup his face, his jaw tenses, you lean in and press your mouth against his.

He shivers and pulls back, "I don't—"

Shame wells up inside of you, "You're right. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry." 

He blinks, "N-No! Its alright. It's okay. Uh, you can do it again. If— If you'd like." 

You lean in again and kiss him, for the first time in what feels like eternity and he kisses back. It's like a dream. You both pull away, fiercely red. 

"Our relationship...it wasn't supposed to end like this." Peter frowns. 

You sigh, "It wasn't supposed to end at all. But I had to Peter. No matter how much it ripped me apart, you deserve a chance at a real life."

He cocks an eyebrow, "W-what do you mean?" 

"Peter...when I look at you I see a bright unblemished future. I see happiness, I see you having a white wedding with a "faceless stranger." But for me...my destiny is laid out before me. Darkness lays in wait, and Thanos cloaked within it. Peter, you're my greatest pipe dream. The time I spend with you are my stolen hours that keep me going through the worst moments of my life. Because in the little time I'm with you...I'm not the Chosen One, I'm not a girl marked by for murder and destined to one day commit one or die trying. I've always been...different, and you made me feel like everyone else, at least for a little while. You're sunshine, Quidditch, kisses on the astronomy tower and laughing until I can't breath. Your just too good to be true. Don't you understand? I don't want to ruin your life. But...I-I'm just selfish and I'm so sorry if I've confused you. Just leave me now, please." Tears stream down you face. 

"Y-you think I don't know what your future holds? You think that people haven't called me crazy because— I'm in love with you? You're not selfish. I- I am. God, it's been eating me alive being with Mary Jane. Just to kiss her I- I have to pretend she's you. I'm miserable without you. So please, ______, by all means, ruin my life. Because I don't want a bright unblemished future unless it has you in it." 

"I don't know what to say." You sniff.

"I-It's okay. There are words we could both say...but." Peter says quietly, talking your hand. 

You lay you head on his shoulder and listen to his heartbeat. Being with him felt so right.   
_

A loud bang sounds. You shoot up, it's dark, most everyone had gone to bed. 

Peter yawns, "What is it?" 

You blink, "I dunno." You walk into the kitchen and look out the window. In the marsh by Peter's house the tall grass stirs. You look closer. There's a figure. A woman. 

Proxima Midnight. 

"Oh my god..." Peter gasps. 

You run and burst through the front door, wand drawn, pelting toward Proxima. She grins, turns, and vanishes into the reeds.

"______, no!" Peter shouts after you. 

You careen through the marsh, reeds and grass flashing past, then you spy Proxima once more. She grins, looking like a crazed wood nymph, then flits off, her laughter mocking you. As your pursue, bolts of magic shoot through the reeds toward you.

Proxima leads you on, grinning madly. She then makes an odd, clicking noise, like a signal. 

"No, _____! It's a trap!" Peter's voice calls.

You falter, looking toward his voice and spy the werewolf Victor Creed. Proxima stops dead, and wheels in her tracks and, seeing Peter, she shrieks with rage. Raising her wand, she fires a bolt of red light which explodes in a shower of sparks around Peter. 

Peter fires back, then wheels away, flashing through the reeds and coming face to face with Victor, sharp teeth glittering.

Just then, you fire a bolt of blue light that bursts of  
Victor Creeds back and he turns, and sees you standing several yards off, and darts towards you. You shoot off running faster and faster, until Victor rushes into a clearing, panting, glancing about.

Just then, twin bolts of light blast from opposite sides of the clearing and Victor is lifted in the air, and slammed to the ground. As he regains his feet he looks into the reeds and sees You and Peter, wands poised.

He grins, when Proxima's odd, clicking signal carries through the night once again. Turning away, he exits.  
You and Peter slowly step out of the reeds, and stare at each other wordlessly. Then Pietro, Wanda, May, Peggy, Michelle and Steve come thrashing into the clearing, and stop. 

Across the marsh, Proxima's cackle rises briefly on the air— then all is quiet.

Michelle turns to the pair of you, "You're lucky you weren't killed.”  
_

Michelle reads the Daily Prophet as she walks alongside you to the library. The headline is gloomy: "More Disappearances."

"You have to realize who you are, _______." Michelle says sternly. 

"I know who I am, Michelle, alright?" You say sharply, then frown in regret, "Sorry."

Michelle folds her newspaper, "So tell me what were you, Steve and Peggy talking about over break? Ya know. With the whole Liz thing."

You think, "Something about a Vanishing Cabinet. Liz was looking for one. That night at Borgin & Burkes." 

"What would she want with a Vanishing Cabinet?" 

You shrug, "You tell me."

Michelle frowns, pondering this, "She looks different, don't you think? Almost...ill." 

"Who could tell the difference?" You laugh nervously.  
_

Your face emerges from the swirling Pensieve. You'd just seen one of Professor Wong's memories about Thanos. But it wasn't right it...you blink, and find Strange studying you from across the room.

"Confused? I would be surprised if you weren't." Strange shakes his head. 

"I don't understand— what happened?"

Strange sighs, "This is perhaps the most important memory I've collected. It's also a lie. This memory has been tampered with. In this case by the person whose memory it is, Professor Wong."

"But why would he tamper with his own memory?" You stroke your chin. 

"I suspect he's ashamed of it." Strange frowns, and trails his fingers in the Pensieve, "I asked you to get to know  
Wong and you've done it. Now I want you to persuade him to divulge his true memory. Any way you can." 

"I don't know him that well, sir..." 

"You're the Chosen One, ______."

You grimace at the title. 

"And Wong is, at heart, a decent man. Provide the proper circumstances and he will confess his sins." Strange lifts his fingers from the Pensieve, and studies them, "This memory is everything, _______. Without it, we are blind. Without it, we leave the fate of our world to chance. You have no choice. You must not fail."  
_

As the first years scurry out of Wong's classroom, You enter, having just been waiting outside the door. For a moment, Wong merely hums over his briefcase, unaware. Then...

"Ah! If it isn't the Princess of Potions herself! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Wong grins.

You cringe, ready to repeat the exact words Thanos said to him all those years ago, "Well, sir, I wondered if I might ask you something." 

"Ask away." Wong nods. 

"Well, you see, the other day I was in the Restricted Section, in the library, and I stumbled upon something rather odd while reading. Something about a bit of rare magic..."

He doesn't lift his head up from his briefcase, "Yes? And exactly what was this rare magic."

You scratch the back of your neck, "I'm not sure...that is, I don't recall the name...exactly. But it got me wondering... Are there some kinds of magic you're not allowed to teach?"

Wong looks up, and eyes you carefully.

"I'm a Potions Professor, ______. Perhaps your question would best be posed to Professor Laufeyson." Wong nods.

"Yes, well, we don't exactly see eye-to-eye, sir. What I mean to say is, he's not like you. He might misunderstand." You tilt your head slightly. 

Recognition flickers in Wong's eyes. And a glint of fear.

"There can be no light without the dark. And so it is with magic. Myself, I have always strived to live within the light. I suggest you do the same." Wong gathers his briefcase, slams it close, and starts to exit.

"Did you say the same to Thanos, sir? When he came asking questions." 

Wong freezes in the doorway, then slowly turns, "Stephen put you up to this. Didn't he?"

You go to explain, but Wong silences you with an upraised hand. Then, without another word, he is gone.  
_

Lightning flashes. Thunder rumbles. Rain lashes the windows. You continue to walk to the common room, glancing up at the giant bird cage on the ceiling. You stare at it for a moment, one bird is missing. Or...maybe you were going crazy. But you could've sworn there was a white one. Now only the blackbird remains.

As thunder booms, the bird ruffles its feathers. Faint footfalls sound from the corridor from the dungeons, you glance down the corridor, nothing. You shrug start up the far stairwell.  
_

Michelle does her homework while you cuddle on the couch with Peter and peer at the Marauder's Map. The three of you are the only ones left in the common room. 

"Did you actually expect you could just walk up to Wong and ask him to reveal his deepest, darkest secret? Honestly, ______, sometimes I think the Daily Prophet should call you the Slow One." Michelle suggests. 

You chuckle, "Nice."

"You're going to have to persuade him somehow. And now, I'm afraid, you've made it a lot harder." Michelle mutters. 

"Peter. I think Liz's leaving the castle." You frown.

Peter stops dead, and looks back at you. He nods.

"I've seen it. Sometimes..." you shrug, "Sometimes she just disappears off the Map." 

"That's not possible. No one can leave the castle these days. The Map must be wrong." Michelle chimes in. 

"The Map is never wrong." You frown. 

Michelle thinks for a moment, then shakes her head, and turns away, "I'm going to bed. ______, these chocolates were on you're bed, I brought them down for you." She tosses them into your lap.

"Thanks. I'm not really hungry. Peter do you want them?" You hold out the box towards him. 

He shrugs and opens the box, and begins to eat them, you lay your head in his lap and continue to stare at the map obsessively. A couple minutes later Peter shoots ip and nearly breaks your neck.

"What gives?" You whine. 

He's by the window, "It's beautiful, isn't it? The moon."

"Divine." You says sarcastically, you look at the box of chocolates, half-eaten.

He glances at the box, "Thought I'd try a couple... Or twenty. Now I can't stop thinking about him, ______." Peter says dreamily. 

"Who?" You raises an eyebrow. 

"I think I love him." Peter clutches his chest. 

"Excuse me?" You say in bewilderment.

Peter nods.

"Do you think he knows I exist?" Peter asks.

"Who are you even talking about?" You ask. 

"Amadeus, of course. Amadeus Cho." 

You stare at Peter, then grin, "Okay. Very funny"

You walk over to him and ruffle his hair. Peter frowns deeply and lightly pushes you away. 

"What the hell was that for?" You snap. 

"It's no joke! I'm in love with him!" Peter declares. 

"Okay! Fine! You're in love with him! Have you ever actually met him!" You ask.

"No. Can you introduce me?" Peter grins. 

You stop rubbing your eyes in confusion, and eye Peter oddly, then glance at the candy box on the couch. There is an envelope taped to the top. Taking it, you slide out a card: "Dear ______. Thinking about you. Happy Valentine's Day. Amadeus." You suppress a smile.

"Peter, these chocolates, they're— Ya know what, c'mon. I'm going to introduce you to Amadeus Cho."   
_

You lead Peter, still in his PJs, toward a door.

"How do I look?" Peter asks.

"Devastatingly handsome." You grin. You rap on the door. Footsteps, followed by a loud crash sound from behind the door.

The door opens. Wong stands in a red velvet dressing gown and matching nightcap, looking bleary-eyed and annoyed. Something smokes on the floor behind him— the floor lamp he'd sent wobbling the night of the dinner party.

"Yes???!!!!" Wong asks, then he realizes, "Oh. Marvel. It's you. I'm afraid I'm busy at the moment—" He starts to close the door. You stick your foot in.

You sigh, "Sir. I'm sorry. I wouldn't bother you if it weren't absolutely—" 

"Where's Amadeus?" Peter whines.

Wong squints over your shoulder at Peter.

"What's the matter with Parker?" 

You lean forward, and whisper into Wong's ear. He frowns.

"Ah. Very well. Bring him in."  
_

Won, with practiced ease, mixes a concoction of powders and potions into a goblet while Peter peers into a mirror. As you pace, you pass "the shelf" and find, front and center, a photograph of yourself and Wong, the one taken at the Christmas party. 

"I'd have thought you could whip up a remedy for this in no time, ______— an expert potioneer like you." Wong says. 

"I figured this called for a more practiced hand, sir." You shrug. 

You and Wong turn, and watch Peter wink into the mirror.

"Hm. Perhaps you're right." Wong nods.

As Wong goes back to mixing, you eye him furtively.

"I'm sorry, sir. About the other day. Our... misunderstanding."

Wong eyes you briefly, and looks away, "Yes, well, water under the bridge as they say?" 

You think, "I mean, I'm sure you're tired of it, after all these years. The questions. About...Thanos." 

Wong's mixing hand falters instantly, "I'll ask you not to use that name." 

Wong's stare is fierce. Finally, he turns, goblet in hand, and puts a smile on his face, his voice cheery.

"Yes, sir. It's just, well, Strange once said that fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. It seemed sensible." You nod.

"With all due respect, Strange sometimes forgets that most of us do not possess powers so great that we can risk offending the most dangerous dark wizard of our time." Wong's stare is fierce, as fierce as the one Strange fixed you with. Finally, Wong turns away.

"Alright, Parker! Bottoms up!" Wong hands the goblet to him, 

"What is it?" Peter asks. 

"A tonic for the nerves." Wong smiles.

Peter drinks, grins for a moment, then his grin sags. He falters then speaks, "What happened to me?"

"Love potion." You inform him. 

"And a strong one at that." Wong chuckles. 

Peter wobbles, "I feel really...bad." 

Wong nods, "Pick-me-up's what you need, do us all good, I think. I've got butterbeer, wine—" 

CRASH! Peter's goblet hits the floor and he crumples to his knees, then tumbles full out on the rug, he's spasming horribly, foam oozing over his lips. You rush to him, and slide onto your knees.

"Peter! Peter!!! Professor, help him!" You shout. 

"I d-don't understand—" Wong stumbles. 

"I— he's dying! Do something!!" You cry. 

Wong shuffles haplessly through his bag, mumbling, at a loss. 

You turn back to Peter, his skin is turning blue, "He's choking!!" You glance about, then leap up, and frantically begins to strip the walls of its potion stores, looking for something, anything. 

A box tumbles, something spills: a scattering of stones, no bigger than a robin's egg, shriveled and dry. Snatching one, you wrenche open Peter's jaw and thrust it deep into his throat.

Instantly Peter stops moving, paralyzed. The room is suddenly silent. He's not breathing. You place both hands behind Peter's head and gives it a shake. Then another.

"Breathe! C'mon, Peter, please. Don't leave me! Breathe! BREATHE!" You shake him again and again... then stop. Peter's head rolls limply from your hands. He's...he's...no. A sob wracks your body. 

Wong looks on, mouth agape.

Then... A cough, a great hiccuping cough— like a swimmer almost drowned, and Peter is back. Breathing.

You cry out in joy and scoop him up into your arms, planting kisses all over his face. 

"Love is gonna kill me, _____." Peter sighs. 

You grin. Peter's eyes flutter. He's asleep. But he's breathing  
_

You, Strange, T'Challa, and Michelle circle Peter's hospital bed as Madam Khan tends to him. Wong sits off to the side, chair, looking stunned.

"Quick thinking on your part, _____. Using a Bezoar. You must be very proud of your student, Wong?" Strange asks him.

Wong is pulled out of his thoughts, "Hm? Oh. Yes... very proud." 

T'Challa nods, "I think we can all agree that Ms. Marvel's actions were heroic. The question is: Why were they needed?" 

"Why is indeed the question." Strange mumbles. He takes the half-empty bottle of tonic Wong gave to Peter. It's still bearing a bit of gift wrap.

Strange touches his goatee, "This appears to be a gift, Wong. You don't remember who gave you this bottle, do you? Which, by the way, possesses subtle hints of licorice and cherry when not polluted with poison." 

"Actually I had intended to give it as a gift myself." Wong bites his thumb. 

"To whom might I ask?" Strange asks. 

"You, Headmaster." Wong mutters.

Just then, the door bursts open: Mary Jane Watson.

"Where is he? Where's my Petey! Has he been asking for me?" She cries, then stops and glares daggers at you, "What's she doing here?" 

"I might ask you the same." You say smugly. 

She rolls her eyes, "We're dating. But I haven't seen him since Christmas break. Probably because of you.  
I suppose you want to make up with him now that he's suddenly all interesting." 

"He's been poisoned, you shallow idiot! And for the record, I've always found him interesting." You frown, a bit embarrassed.

Peter huffs, stirring.

Mary Jane grins, "Ha! See? He senses my presence. I'm here, I'm here—" 

"_____..._____..." he mutters, in a haze, he reaches out blindly. Blushing, you take his hand. Instantly, he falls unconscious again. Mary Jane, vibrating with rage, stalks out, and Strange beams.

"Ah, to be young and feel love's keen sting. Come on everyone, I think Mr. Parker is well tended." 

As Strange leads the others past you, you study him. Michelle passes, face very close, whispering, "Bout time they broke up, don't you think?" She laughs silently. 

She goes past Wong who has paused in the doorway, "I've always cherished my students. They're my life..." he murmurs. 

Then he is gone too. You turn back to look a Peter one last time, hopelessly smitten.   
_

You spoon soup into you mouth while perusing the Half- Blood Prince's Potion book, your eyes lingering once more over the Sectumsempra spell: "For Enemies." It reads. 

Peter absently twirls his wand as he covertly eyes someone in the distance. You glance over at Michelle reading the Prophet when...a snowflake falls upon you nose.

You glance at Peter, "Pete. Stop. You're making it  
snow." 

"Huh?" Peter looks up, and sees that it is snowing exclusively over the three of you. You place your hand atop his wand and then he blinks, as if the gesture kindles some sense-memory, "Tell me again why Mary Jane hates me?"

You pause on your soup, and carefully remove you hand from Peter's wand, then exchange a glance with Michelle.

"Um, well, she came to visit you in the hospital, you see, and you talked— I don't think it was a long conversation." You trail off.

Peter puts his hands up defensively, "Don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled to be freed of her. It's just she seems...put out." 

As one, the three of you glance over at Mary Jane and are rewarded with a lethal squint.

"She does, doesn't she? And you say you don't remember a thing from that night? Not one thing?" You ask.

He thinks, "Well...there is...something. But no. It can't be. Besides, I was dazed, wasn't I?" 

"Right. Dazed..." You slump back, frowning. Michelle smiles with amusement. 

Just then, a mild commotion draws your attention. At the back of the Hall, a group of girls surrounds a new arrival.

Michelle perks up, "That's Mantis. That's Mantis Titan." 

Mantis, pale but smiling, greets the other girls. After a moment, she looks up, and peers at you standing before her.

"How are you, Mantis?" You smile softly. 

"Give me a moment, girls." She says, the group of girls drift off, you watch them go, curious. 

"I know you're going to ask, _____. But I don't know who cursed me. I've tried to remember. Honestly. But I just... can't..." Mantis' eyes shift. She goes ashen.

You turn, following her gaze and find... Liz, staring at Mantis. Mantis smiles faintly and backs away, retreating to the other girls.

You watch her go, then look back, only to spot Liz fleeing the Great Hall. 

She was the one. She cursed Mantis.

You dart after her.   
_

Liz hurtles forward, and passes out of sight. You follow, sparing a short glance to the birdcage overhead, which is now empty...

Liz jets into the girls bathroom. You catch up and slam open the bathroom, and stop, stunned. Liz is hunched over a bathroom sink crying her eyes out.

Her eyes shift in the mirror, horrified to be exposed. She wheels, and points her wand. The lamp next to your head shatters and flames spider up the ceiling.

You draw your own wand, and fire back. The sink behind Liz explodes and water sweeps the ceiling, and rains down. Liz shrieks with rage. You ready yourself.

Liz jumps, "Cruci—" 

But you're quicker. A special spell sticks out in your mind. 

Sectumsempra: "For Enemies."

"Sectumsempra!" You shoot. 

Suddenly blood spurts from Liz's face and scarlet slashes ooze through the white of her button-up shirt. She staggers, cries out and collapses.

You stare at you wand in horror, then slush across the floor, the water from the busted sink running red with Liz's blood.

You walk towards her, "I didn't know, I—" 

"Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me!" She shrieks. 

You stop dead, transfixed by a flash of something dark pushing through the wet fabric of Liz's shirtsleeve. Just then, Laufeyson bursts through the door. 

Seeing Liz, and the nature of her injuries, he eyes you with a keen curiosity. Kneeling, Laufeyson traces the tip of his wand over Liz's wounds, murmuring a strange incantation. Instantly, the skin begins to knit itself together.

You back away, Laufeyson's chant ringing in your ears, Liz's blood floating like crimson flowers on the floor.   
You back away from until you reach the door. You never meant to hurt her this bad. You didn't know the power of the spell. Could you have killed Liz if Laufeyson wasn't there? Would she have died? You needed to get rid of the Half-Blood Princes book. And soon.


	46. Just a Little Luck

You sit numbly, the Half-Blood Princes Potions textbook lying limply in your hands. Michelle and Peter sit together, a bit apart, keeping a kind of vigil. 

Finally, Peter rises, and steps to you, "You have to get rid of it. Today."   
_

You, Potions book in hand, follow Peter past the empty birdcage and down the corridor when he pauses, turns to the wall and shuts his eyes.

"Take my hand." 

You close your eyes as well and follow him. 

"You can open them now." He nudges you.

You gaze at your surroundings, "The Room of Requirement..." you mutter.

Peter nods, then turns away, and you follow. 

You eye the shelves that tower above and list the things they hold: theres a small cage bearing the skeleton of some long-dead creature. A jar of quivering eyeballs which track you as you pass. And many other odds and ends. 

"Over the years, if someone had a secret, if they wanted to hide something, this is where they came. Some of these things are almost as old as the castle itself." Peter says briskly. 

"Who showed you this?" You ask. 

"Ned. He's know about it since first year. I had to I hide something...too shy." He mutters, then shrugs it off. 

As Peter drifts in the memory, you study him. Suddenly their is a loud scuffling sound nearby. The two of you turn, then look off.

"What was that?" You and Peter say in unison. 

You turn back, and the two of you look at each other and smile.

The two of you approach a large dark cabinet, whatever was inside was producing the noise. You reach out, pulling aside the tapestry which covers the cabinet. The door vibrates. Slowly, you open it and...  
a black bird flies free in a rush of flapping wings.

I know that bird, you think. 

"See, you never know what you'll find up here." Peter grins. 

You nod, looking back to the cabinet, mystified.

Peter huffs, "All right. C-Close your eyes. That way you won't be persuaded to look." 

He slips the book from your fingers and starts to back away. 

You stand their quietly. Still Waiting. For a long moment, there is only silence.

"There's something else. Another secret. One of mine..." Peters voice whispers, "O never say that I was false of heart, Though absence seemed my flame to qualify. That is my home of love; if I have ranged, like that travels, I return again, For nothing this wide universe I call, Save thou, my rose; thou art my all." 

Your eyes flutter open. Peter is standing their blushing furiously, holding a card with a beautiful gold seal. 

"This...this was the gift I got you when I went to Egypt summer before third year. I was going to give it to you. B-but then I got too scared, so I got rid of it here. It's a like a card, with a Shakespeare poem— but it's on enchanted Egyptian papyrus. It's stupid isn't—"

You shut him up by placing your mouth on his. You melt into one another, slipping your hands into his hair. 

The two of you pull away, mouths pink, "That can stay hidden up here too, if you like." You mutter. 

He opens his eyes, and tilts his head, mouth parted. He looks beautiful.

You blush, "Or...we could...if you'll have me." 

"Yes. O-Of course." He interlaces your fingers, "We can be together again...that is...what you want, right?" Peter asks softly. 

"Yes." You assure him. 

"Well, that if you'll have me." Peter smiles sheepishly. 

"I don't understand...it's my fault we broke up." You frown, "Let me feel bad about this." 

"But you don't understand. I- I dated Mary Jane. Even thought I didn't really want to. I just wanted you...to be jealous. Fight for me back. I was selfish...because I didn't wait for you. Like I promised. And I apologize. You didn't— you don't deserve that. Tony died and I didn't give you time to greave. When Ben died you just supported me and gave me space. And I love you for that. I just...we're not the same. We greave in different ways and it was unfair for me to be mad at you for the way you dealt with what you've been through. You're still stronger than me. You always have been." He holds your hands and looks at his feet. 

"I didn't mean to push you away. I was afraid. I still am. I hope...doesn't matter— But this time...I think it's best if we keep our relationship private. Not even Midgards is safe anymore." You murmur. 

"You're right....no one needs to know?" He hooks your pinky's together. 

"No one needs to know." You nod, watching the black bird flutter overhead.  
_

"So. Did you and Peter do it?" Michelle asks. 

You jump, and your face turns scarlet, "What?"

She lifts her eyebrow, "You know. Hide the book." 

"Oh! Yeah." You nod in relief. 

Just then, Wong rounds the far end of the corridor and  
the second he spots you he retreats back from whence he came. 

Michelle shakes her head, "Still no luck with Professor Wong?"

You shake your head, then stop cold, staring at the empty space where Professor Wong stood moments before, "Say that again."  
_

The tiny vial of Felix Felicis glimmers in your palm as you and Peter and Michelle huddle in the empty common room. You all exchange glances, then you bring the vial to your lips.

"Well? How do you feel?" Michelle asks. 

You think for a moment then a whole wave of what feels like pure golden warmth radiates through your body, "Gosh...I feel great. Really great." 

You hadn't felt this good in a very long time. 

"Now remember. Wong usually eats early, takes a   
short walk and then returns to his office." Michelle says sternly.

You nod, "Right. Well I'm going down to Bruce's."

Michelle frowns, "What? No, ______— you've got to go see Wong. We have a plan—" 

"No. I've got a good feeling about going to Bruce's. I feel like it's the place to be tonight, know what I mean?" You grin giddily.

Michelle and Peter look at you strangely.

"No." They answer in unison. 

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Or at least...Felix does." You wink   
_

You hum placidly. Up ahead, a figure ripples beyond the steamy panes of the Greenhouse. It's Wong, hunched over a plant whose tendrils coil eerily, resisting his attentions. He stealthily removes a sprig, then looks up and jumps in surprise.

"______!" Wong yaps.

"Sorry, sir. I should've announced myself. Cleared my throat. Coughed. You probably feared I was Professor Groot." You grin.

"Well, yes, actually—" Wong stops, suddenly paranoid.   
"Why would you think that?"

"Just the general behavior, sir. The sneaking around. The jumping when you saw me. By the way, those Tentacula leaves— they're quite valuable, aren't they?" You ponder this for a moment. 

"Ten galleons a leaf to the right buyer," Wong grins, then stops, "—not that I'm familiar with any back alley transactions. Rumors is all. My interests are academic, of course."

"Personally, these plants have always kind of freaked me out." You give a little shiver of the shoulders, then smile. 

Wong cocks his head, and studies you oddly.

"How did you get out of the castle, _____?"

"Through the front doors, sir. I'm off to Bruce's, you see. He's a very close friend and I felt like visiting. So if you don't mind, I'll be going." You wave happily and turn to leave. 

"______!" Wong says sternly. 

"Sir?" You say in the same exasperation. 

"It's nearly nightfall. Surely you realize I can't allow you to roam the grounds by yourself." Wong shakes his head.

"Well, then by all means come along, sir." You suggest.  
_

You continue over a hill, trolling happily along, when Wong appears behind you, huffing and puffing to keep up.

"I must insist you come with me back to the castle right now!" 

"That would be counterproductive, sir." You nod. 

"And what makes you say that?" Wong asks, out of breath. 

"No idea." You shrug. 

Wong frowns impatiently, then stops, and blinks.

Up ahead, Bruce sits disconsolately upon a stump. Nearby, Aragog, king of the arachnids, massive body lies legs up.

"Is that an actual Acromantula?" Wong gasps.

"A dead one, I think, sir." You frown.

You and Wong approach a sullen Bruce.

"_______. Professor Wong." Bruce says sullenly. 

"My god. How did you manage to kill it?" Wong gapes. 

"Why would I kill him? He was one of my oldest friends." Bruce sighs.

"I'm sorry, I..." Wong falters helplessly. Bruce waves his hand.

"Don't worry. It's not just you. People don't understand  
spiders. They unnerve people." Bruce frowns. 

"Not to mention the pincers." You make a little claw motion with your hands, while making a clicking sound. 

Bruce eyes you curiously, "Yeah. I guess that too... How'd you get out of the castle anyways?"

"Through the front doors." You say obviously. 

"Banner, I wouldn't want to be indelicate, but Acromantula venom is very rare and, well, if you wouldn't mind my extracting a vial or two— purely for academic pursuits..." Wong looks at him suggestively. 

"As an ex-alchemist I understand. The venom won't help him an longer anyway..." Bruce sighs once more. 

"My thoughts exactly! Always carry a few spare vials for just such occasions. Potion Master's habit, you know..." Wong chuckles then rummages about his pockets, and extracts some small vials, then scrambles up close to Aragog. You and Bruce watch.

"I wish you all could've seen him in his prime. It was extraordinary." Bruce takes out a handkerchief and gently wipes his noise. Wong looks up, and studies Bruce's sorry expression with empathy and steps away.

"Why don't I say a few words? I believe he had family?" Wong asks. 

You and Peter's journey to the dark forest second year flashes before your eyes, "Oh yeah."

"Farewell..." Wong frowns, "Aragog. Farewell, Aragog, king of arachnids. Though your body will rot, your spirit lingers on in the quiet, web-spun places of your Forest home. May your many-eyed descendents flourish and your human friends find peace for the loss they have endured." 

"Beautiful." Bruce wipes his eyes, then rises. He transforms into Hulk, walks to Aragog, studies him lovingly, then lifts up the big beast's body and sends him tumbling into the freshly-dug grave adjacent with a sickening thunk.   
_

You, Bruce and Wong sit at Bruce's kitchen table, which is strewn with empty wine bottles. Bruce and Wong are feeling no pain, while you feel clear-eyed, and focused.

Bruce tops off everyone's mug with a bit more wine. You bring your mug to your lap then slyly pour it into the bucket at your feet.

"I had him from an egg. He was so tiny when he hatched." Bruce gazes off lovingly. 

"How sweet. I once had a fish. Francis. Lovely creature. One day I came downstairs and he'd vanished." Wong frowns.

"That's odd." Bruce mummbles. 

"Isn't it? That's life, I suppose." Wong nods, "You go along and then...poof." 

"Poof." Bruce agrees. 

Everyone all nods soberly. Wong's eyes rise to the ceiling.

Bruce's head hits the table, his grey and black hair hanging in front of his face. He snores quietly. 

Wong smiles, and regards you, you merely stare back. He averts his eyes, as if he's suddenly nervous.

"It was a student who gave me Francis. One spring afternoon I discovered a bowl on my desk with a few inches of clear water. There was a flower petal floating upon the surface. As I watched, the petal sank, but before it touched bottom... it transformed. Into a fish. It was beautiful magic, amazing to behold. The petal had come from a Carol Rose." 

Hearing "Carol," You look up, Wong nods.

"Your mother. The day I came downstairs, the day I found the bowl empty... was the day she..." Wong falters, pain etching his face, "I know what you want. But I can't give it to you. It will ruin me..."

You study Wong a moment, thinking, then speak.

"Do you know why I survived? The night I got this."

Wong looks up, and sees you pointing to your scar.

"Because of her. Because she sacrificed herself. Because she refused to step aside. Because her love was more powerful than Thanos."

"Please don't say his—" Wing cringes.

"I'm not afraid of the name, Professor. And I'm not afraid of him. And you shouldn't be either. She didn't just die for me that night. She died for you too. She died for everyone who's ever woken in the middle of the night afraid a Child of Thanos waited on their doorstep ." 

Wong gazes into the guttering candle before him.

You look at Wong somberly, "Professor. I'm going to tell you something, something others have only guessed at. It's true. I am the Chosen One."

Wong looks up.

You nod.

"Only I can kill him. But in order to do so, I need to know what Santho asked you that night in your office all those years ago. And I need to know what you told him." You beg. 

Wong's eyes well with tears, and his hands tremble.

With a stoney glance you speak, "Be brave, Professor. Be brave like my mother. Otherwise you disgrace her. Otherwise she died for nothing. Otherwise...the bowl remains empty forever." 

Wong shakes his head, staring into the candle. Finally, slowly, he removes his wand, "Don't think too badly of me once you've seen it. You don't know what he was like...even then." 

Wong fishes out a tiny vial, but his hand is shaking so violently, you have to take it. Slowly, Wong raises his wand, touches it to his temple and withdraws a long, silver thread. You extend the vial and it drop within.


	47. The Cave

Strange holds the vial in wonderment, "How is Wong?"

You shrug.

Strange nods, then tips his hand. A long strand hangs, suspended like glass. Your eyes shift, and you notice a drawing on Strange's desk, one of Santhos drawings you saw in the memory at the orphanage, of the cave and its distinctive outcropping. You turn, and the pearl of the memory drops into the pensive.   
_

The memory is the same as before, right down to the crackling embers of the fire.

"My goodness, is it that time already? Off you go. Howard, Mary, don't forget your essays..." Wong says. 

The others exit, and Wong turns, eyes his hourglass, and then spots Santho, still there.

"Go on, Santho. You don't want to be seen out of bed after hours..." Wong shoos him. 

"I know a secret shortcut or two." Santho shrugs. 

"Yes, I imagine you do. Something on your mind, Santho?" Wong asks.

"Yes. Its true, I couldn't seem think of anyone else to mention this to. The other Professors, well, they're not quite like you. They might...misunderstand this question." Santho says, touching his chin.

"Well...Go on." Wong nods.

"I was in the library the other night, in the Restricted section. I read something very odd. It was about a type of rare magic. I thought perhaps you could...illuminate me. It's called, as I try to understand it...a Horcrux."

Wong's weak smile evaporates altogether, "Excuse me?" 

"A Horcrux. I came across the term while reading and I don't quite seem to understand it." 

"I'm not sure what you were reading, Santho, but that's very dark stuff." Wong shivers. 

"I know. Which is why I came to you. I mean no disrespect to any of the teachers at Midgards, but I thought if anyone could tell me...it would be you." Santho smirks coldly

Wong frowns, clearly disturbed, then speaks quietly, "A Horcrux is an object in which a person has hidden part of their soul." 

"Yes, I thought it might be...something like that. But I don't understand how it works." Santho's features mold in frustration. 

Wong looks down, "One splits one's soul and hides  
part of it in an object. By doing so, you are protected should you be attacked and your body destroyed." 

"Protected?" Santho mutters. 

"That part of your soul that was hidden, lives on. In other words, you cannot die." Wong shakes his head. 

Santho nods and turns away, staring at himself in the mirror on the wall opposite. A hint of red glints in his eyes, "How does one split his soul?"

"I think you can guess the answer to that. Murder. Killing rips the soul apart. It is a violation against nature. After, a person is never the same." Wong frowns. 

"Out of curiosity— can you only split your soul once? For instance, isn't seven the most powerfully magical number—" 

"Seven! Good God! Isn't it bad enough to think of killing one person? To rip the soul into seven pieces..." Wong stops, suddenly worried, "This is all hypothetical, isn't it, Santho? All academic..." 

"Of course. And I promise I'll not speak of our conversation. It'll be our little secret..." Santho reaches out then and pinches the flame of a candle, killing it.  
_

You yank your head out of the Pensieve, looking at the surface, where Thanos' face quivers in the liquid.

"Sir—" you start.

Strange holds up his withered hand, silencing you, and then turns away. You study him, waiting, the hush palpable.

"This is beyond anything I imagined. In my life I have seen things that are unimaginably horrific. I know now...you will see worse." Strange looks off, his eyes distant. 

You watch him intently, as do the headmasters in their frames above. Finally, tentatively, you speak.

"Do you mean to say he succeeded, sir? In making a Horcrux?" 

Strange nods deeply, "Oh he succeeded. And not just  
once. Think, _____. He's just told us." 

"Seven. He made seven— the most powerfully magical number. But...what are they exactly?" You ask.

"They can be anything. The most commonplace of objects. A ring, for example. Or a book...But it's not the objects. Not really. It's the stones." Strange slides open a drawer, and removes a ring and Santho's battered diary. 

The diary's cover, a shattered yellow stone.  
The ring, a red stone, cracked and dull. 

"The diary is a Horcrux. Four years ago, when you saved Penni Parker's life in the Chamber of Secrets, when you brought me this—" he holds up the diary,   
"I knew. This was a different kind of magic. Very dark. Very powerful. But until tonight, I had no idea just how powerful..."

"And the ring...?" You ask.

"Belonged to Thanos' mother. It was difficult to find and..." Strange raises his damaged hand, "...even more difficult to destroy."

You bite your lip, deep in thought, "But if you could find them all. If you did destroy each stone..."

"You'd destroy Thanos."

You begin to reach out for the ring, "But how would you find them? They could be hidden anywhere, couldn't they..." 

"True. But magic, especially Dark magic—" 

Just then, as your fingers make contact with the stone of the ring, images flash by in dizzying succession: Thanos' face twisted in pain. A decrepit house, deep in a haunted clearing. An ancient cup with a gleaming orange stone as it tumbles from an old woman's hand. The Chitari running through damp grass. Strange slipping the ring onto his finger, recoiling as his skin decays...

"...leaves traces." 

Your clenched hand spasms, then you release. The ring skitters across Strange's desk and you bring a hand to your chest, a look of bewilderment on your face.

Strange watches the ring spin down, then glances at you and slowly extends his own hand, lightly touching your hand with the tips of his ashen fingers, as if reading braille, as if he can somehow "see" into your heart. Trepidation, and recognition, flicker over his face.

"It's where you've been going, isn't it, sir? When you leave the school." You ask. 

Your eyes drift once again to the postcard on the desk. Strange withdraws his hand, nodding, still studying you. 

Oddly, his voice, when it comes, distant, "Yes. And I think... perhaps...I may have found another. But this time I cannot destroy it alone." 

You peer into Strange's eyes, and he nods.

"Once again, I ask too much of you."  
_

You stand at a window, looking out. You bring your fingers to your chest again when, Peter comes up behind you, "______. It's time." 

You, Michelle and Peter walk.

"Michelle, is the Room of Requirement unplottable?" You ask.

"If you want it to be." She shrugs.

"It would explain where Liz was going when she disappeared off the map. She was going into the Room of Requirement." You nod. 

"Of course, and that explains the Vanishing Cabinet as well!" Michelle grins.

"No. I got an owl from Aunt May this morning. The one at Borgin & Burke's? It's still there." Peter frowns. 

"But I'm telling you. I saw it..." You glance at a pair of Slytherin twins as they round the corner, "What if there are two? Vanishing cabinets." 

"What if there are?" Michelle ponders.

"I don't know..." you murmur. You look up, having arrived at the entrance to the astronomy tower. 

"Good luck." Michelle smiles. 

"I don't need luck. I'll be with Strange." You glance at Peter.

The two of you give Michelle a look and she cocks a brow. Then she seems to understand that you both need a private moment and she turns around.

Peter gives you a quick peck on the lips and the two of you hold each other for a brief moment. Michelle turns back around and you look at both of your friends, neither able to fully conceal their concern. You smile reassuringly, and continue on.  
_

As you trot up the spiraling exterior stairs, you hear voices coming from the topmost level and pause, peering up through the grid-like floor above: Strange and Professor Laufeyson.

"Have you ever considered that you ask too much? That you take too much for granted? Has it ever crossed your mind that I don't want to do this anymore?" Laufeyson asks.

"Whether it has or hasn't is irrelevant. I will not negotiate this with you, Loki. You agreed. There's nothing more to discuss." Strange fires back. 

You stand poised, peering upward, where Strange squints toward the dying sun and Laufeyson glares at his back. Finally, Laufeyson turns away and, before you can react, is descending the stairs. Seeing you, Laufeyson falters briefly, then continues on without a word. As his footsteps fade, you ascend to the upper tier. 

Strange turns, and smiles, "You need a bigger cloak my friend." 

You look down at your cloak, the one you've had since second year, it no longer covered your feet. It used to seem so big... 

You take it off, fold it, and lay it on the ground. 

Strange looks at you fondly, "At times I forget how much you've grown. At times I still see the small girl from the cupboard. Forgive my nostalgia, ______. I'm an old man." 

"You look the same to me, sir." You grin softly. 

"Like your mother, you are unfailingly kind. Its trait people never fail to undervalue. I'm afraid." Strange turns then eyes the fiery sky again.

"The place to which we journey tonight is very dangerous, _____. I promised that you could come with me and I stand by that promise. But there is a condition: You must obey any thing I ask of you— without question."

"Yes, sir." You nod.

"Understand what I'm saying. Should I tell you to hide, you must hide." 

You nod once more. 

"Should I tell you to run, you will run. And should I tell you to abandon me and save yourself..." 

Your eyes rise, and meet Strange's, "You will do so."

You hesitate.

"Your word, _____." Strange asks.

You debate this internally, then, finally nod, "My word." 

"Take my arm." Strange asks.

"I thought people couldn't apparate within Midgards." You question.

"Being me has its privileges." Strange smiles.

The wind gusts and you reach out.  
_

A giant wave crashes over a jagged outcropping. As the spray clears, you eye the towering cliff face opposite, the cave.

"It's there, isn't it?" You ask. Strange holds out his arm once more. 

You and Strange materialize. It is quiet by the cave, eerily so, the waves merely distant thunder. As you glance about, Strange moves to an archway, and passes beyond. You follow, finding Strange standing below a towering dome of rock, probing its mysteries with light from his wand.

"This is the place." Strange closes his eyes, "Where you stand, Thanos once stood many, many years ago, when he was but a poor orphan boy with a knack for cruelty..." Strange's wand stops briefly in its arc and his face registers pain, as if detecting some past unpleasantry. He begins to trace his fingers over the surface of the rock, "One wintry afternoon, he lured two younger classmates to this cave. What happened is unknown. But this much is known: the children were damaged."

Strange begins to murmur something as his fingers play over the rock, he stops, and his eyes open. He takes a dagger from his robes and draws the blade across his forearm, speckling the rock face with scarlet beads.

"Sir!" You cry out.

The rock face sizzles like acid and begins to crumble, forming a narrow opening.

"In order to gain passage, payment must be made, payment intended to weaken any intruder." Strange states.

"You should've let me, sir." You frown.

"Oh, no, ______. Your blood is much more precious than mine."

You and Strange enter the cave through a small passage, and emerge onto the rim of a vast lake teeming with mist. A chill hangs in the air.

"Careful. The water." Strange points. 

You peer into the lake. It is black as ink.

You follow Strange around the rim of the lake. In the center, a greenish glow shimmers in the mist.

"It's there. The only question is how do we get to it?" Strange touches his chin. 

You think, "We couldn't, perhaps, just try a Summoning Charm, sir?" 

Strange smiles, then motions as if to say, Be my guest.

You lift your wand, "Accio Horcrux!" 

There is an explosion and something pale erupts out of the water. You nearly shed your skin. Strange calmly watches it vanish beneath the surface.

"Perhaps not." Strange shrugs.

Strange leads you on, stops, then takes a step back.  
He, to your horror walks right to the lake's edge. As the dark water laps over the toes of his shoes, Strange passes his hand slowly through the air, then closes it... as if gripping something invisible. Taking his wand, he clenches fist and a thick coppery-green chain appears out of thin air, extending from the water to Strange's hand.

"If you would, ______..." 

Quickly you grasp the end of the chain and together you and Strange pull, end over end, until the prow of a small boat pierces the surface, green with algae. The two of you step inside the boat and float across the placid surface. 

"Remember...the water." Strange reminds you as you exit the boat. 

You nod, stepping out carefully, and join Strange at your destination. A small island in the middle of the lake, lined with crystals, and in the middle of the island, a crystal basin filled with a phosphorescent liquid.

Strange extends the tips of his blackened fingers toward the basin, but he cannot touch the liquid.

"Do you think the Horcrux is in there, sir?" You ask.

"Oh yes." Strange steps back, and ponders the basin, "It has to be drunk. You remember the condition on which I brought you with me?"

You start to respond, but then just stop and nod.

"This potion might paralyze me. It might cause me to forget why I'm here. It might create so much pain I beg for relief. You are not to indulge these requests. It is your job to make sure I keep drinking this potion even if you have to force it down my throat. Understood?" 

"Why can't I drink it, sir?" You beg. 

"Because I am much older...and much less valuable." Strange takes the ladle and dips it in the potion, and brings it to his lips, and drinks deep. Then closes his eyes. 

"Professor?" You mutter quietly. 

Strange shakes his head, silencing you, dipping the ladle once more, then drinks. He trembles and grips the side of the basin.

"Professor? Can you hear me?" You call out gently. 

Strange says nothing. The corners of his eyes twitch, and his hand trembles, savagely this time, and he nearly drops the ladle. You reach out, and steady his hand.

"Don't...don't make me..." Strange mumbles. 

You eye Strange's anguished face, and steel yourself against it.

"You...you can't stop, Professor. You've got to keep drinking. Like you said. Remember?" You frown.

"Nooooooo!!!" Strange cries out.

You stagger back, Strange's plea is so primal.  
His arm goes slack, the ladle clanging dully against the side of the basin. You take a breath, step forward, place a hand over Strange's, and lift the cup.

"Make it stop... Please...make it stop..." Strange says.

"It will, sir. It'll stop. But only if you drink..."

Your own hand trembling now, tips the ladle over Strange's lips.

"My fault. It's all my fault..." Strange mutters.

You bring the ladle up once more. Strange drinks.

"Too much... I can't... take it... I want...to die...kill... kill me... KILL ME, _____!" Strange cries.

"What?" You ask, startled.

"Your word, _____! Your word!" Strange cries once more.

"No..." you frown.

You stand, paralyzed, unsure what to do. 

Then...Strange collapses, and rolls onto his back. You pelt forward, and dip the goblet into the basin and kneel by Strange.

"One more. Just one more. And then— I promise... I'll do what you say." You whisper to him. 

Strange, jaw clinched shut, eyes you.

"I promise." You nod. 

Strange's jaw relaxes and you pry open his mouth, and tip the liquid down his throat. Pain ripples through Strange's face. He tries to speak, and you eye with trepidation, fearful of what he will request. Again and again Strange struggles and then, his eyes open. And find you.

"Water." Strange asks. 

A shudder of relief goes through you. Grinning, you leap to the basin. A golden locket embellished with a glowing green stone, now lies at the bottom. You snatch it up.

"Water..." Strange begs once more.

You nod, "Aguamenti." 

Instantly cold, clear water rises in the basin, "You did it, sir. Look—" you scoop up water with the ladle. 

You frown. The goblet is empty.

"Water!" Commands Strange.

You dip the ladle into the basin yet again, and bring it to Strange's lips...but once again its empty. 

Strange tries to speak, but his lips are cracking, his tongue like sand. He gulps dryly for air.

"I'm trying, sir. I'm—" You stop. 

All is silent...except for the soft lapping of the lake. 

You consider the ghostly shapes gliding just below the surface. You think, and then you dip the ladle into the dark water. Instantly, the lake begins to churn. 

You back away, the ladle sloshing in your hand. Faces, pale and haunted, quiver in the roiling water.

You tip the water into Strange's mouth, he blinks. His tongue probes his lower lip. You return to the water's edge, hesitate, then plunge the ladle into water once more. Instantly, a slimy white snags your wrist and you are pulled under the ice cold water.  
_

Under the water it is utterly silent. You twist madly as hands reach for you, turning you this way and that. 

Haunted faces float by, blurry under the water. You shoot up, breaking the surface of the water gasping for air, you catch a glimpse of Strange slumped against the basin before you're pulled underwater once again, into the eerie silence of flailing corpse arms. 

You shake free again and again, but there are too many hands, too many haunted faces.

You've been under water a very long time, you feel your lungs burning. Your eyes lose their focus, turning blank. Bubbles trail out of your mouth as your face falls slack. You sink deeper, in free fall, taking one last look at the shimmering surface above, the last thing you will see... you think about Peter, as you drift off. It was always him. 

Suddenly a shadow shivers briefly and the surface sizzles with red light, like blood, then it becomes transparent, revealing Strange, wand pointed directly at the water.

You break the surface, spitting up water, and gasping for air. Strange staggers, and he slumps once more against the basin, weakened by his effort. You scramble up, steading him and the lake suddenly explodes with fire. You wheel, watching the bodies in the lake twist in pain.

"Go..." 

You turn, confused. Strange's hand finds your face.

"We have to...go." Strange says. 

You glance to the boat. Flames lick the prow, darkening the wood, but do not destroy it, you nod. 

You and Strange pale and weak, emerge from the cave. Strange, hobbles to the surface wearily, and slumps heavily on you. 

"Don't worry, sir. We're nearly there." You huff. 

"I am not worried, ______. I am with you." Strange says softly.


	48. The White Tomb

You and Strange materialize on the Astronomy Tower.

You glance at your weak Headmaster, "We need to get you up to the hospital, sir, to Madam Khan—" 

"No. Loki...Loki is who I need...Go and wake him... Tell him what has happened..Speak to no one else...I... I shall wait here..."

You sigh and quickly nod, "All right. Okay." 

You gently disengage from Strange, and leave him leaning against the ramparts. You dash to the stairwell door and glance back once more. Strange is muttering wearily as he gesticulates with his blackened hand.

"Sir, are you...praying?" You ask. 

Strange smiles faintly, "No, ______. I do not pray. I was merely closing a window— the one that had allowed us to apparate." 

You nod, and begin to open the door, when footsteps sound, you draw your wand. Strange cocks his head, listening. Wincing, he straightens up, as if to mask his infirmity.

"Hide yourself below. And do not speak or show yourself without my permission. No matter what." Strange demands

You furrow your brows and look down through the latticework at your feet, to the tier below. The footsteps draw closer.

"Do as I say, _____." 

You hesitate. Strange's eyes blaze.

"Trust me." He nods solemnly. 

You meet Strange's eyes, then pocket your wand and slip down the stairs. As you reach the level below, the door above flies open. You peer up through the grid, and watch Elizabeth Allen come into view.

"Good evening, Elizabeth. What brings you out on such a fine Spring evening? Or is it Summer?" Strange smiles pleasantly. 

Liz stands poised, wand in hand, eyes darting about, "Who else is here? I heard you talking."

Strange shrugs, nonchalantly kicking your cloak to the side, "I often talk aloud to myself. I find it  
extraordinarily useful. Something which sounds sane at a whisper can seem utterly mad when said for all the world to hear. Haven't been whispering to yourself, have you, Elizabeth?" 

Liz eyes Strange with unease.

"You are not an assassin, Liz." Strange says sternly. 

"How do you know what I am? I've done things that would shock you." She say furiously. 

"Like cursing Mantis Titan and hoping she would bear a cursed necklace to me? Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison? Forgive me, Elizabeth, but these are attempts so feeble I cannot help but question if your heart has been really in them.  
I'm curious. When Thanos gave you this task, when he asked you to kill me, was it in a whisper?" Strange questions, peering at her. 

"He trusts me! I was chosen!" Liz thrusts out her arm, and pulls back her sleeve and reveals her tattoo, the dark mark. Three long stripes and six dots, and in the middle, a circle. 

Strange barely looks at it.

"Then I shall make it easy for you." Slowly and without intent, Strange draws his wand. Instantly Liz raises her own.

"Expelliarumus!"

You watch in horror as Strange's wand flies free, clattering across the grid above. Liz watches it roll to a stop, a curious mixture of fear and awe at her own   
actions. Strange eyes the wand, then Liz.

"Well done, Elizabeth. But I warn you. Killing is not nearly as easy." Strange smiles, but just barely. 

Liz looks into Strange's eyes, then to the sky, at the gathering clouds twisting darkly, then glances to the stairwell.

"You're not alone. Are you. There are others. How?" Strange tilts his head. 

A sneering smile plays over Liz's lips, "The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement."

"That cabinet has been broken for years."

"I've been mending it." 

"Ingenious. Let me guess. It has a sister. A twin." Strange nods. 

Liz continues, "In Borgin & Burkes. They form—" 

"A passage, yes. Very good." Strange's eyes shift, "I once knew a boy years ago who made all the wrong choices. Let me help you, Elizabeth." Strange pleads. 

"I don't want your help! Don't you see? I have to do it! I have to!" Tears pool in Liz's eyes, she glances around, "I've got to kill you or he'll kill me." She whispers. 

"Say that again, Elizabeth. But aloud this time." 

Liz looks deep into Strange's eyes, her hand trembles. Transfixed, you watch from the shadows. Slowly, Liz begins to lower her wand...when footsteps echo. 

The door flies open: Proxima Midnight, Victor Creed and others.

"Well now, look what we have here. Stephen Strange. Wandless and alone. Cornered in his own castle. Well  
done, Elizabeth." Proxima smiles. 

You peer up, eyes flashing angrily at the sound of her voice. You draw your wand slowly.

"Good evening, Proxima. I think introductions are in order." Strange nods. 

"Love to, Stephen. But I'm afraid we're on a bit of a tight schedule." She says hatefully, she turns to Liz, "Do it."

Liz's wand rises once again. You raise his own, aiming through the grid, poised. Just then, a shadow splinters through the columns to your right. You look, and find Laufeyson, quiet as a ghost, peering upward. Carefully, Laufeyson draws his wand, then turns to you, a finger to his lips: Shhh. 

Then he is drifts upward. Silent. A ghost again.

"She doesn't have the stomach. Like her father. Let me finish him. In my own way." Victor Creed laughs animalisticly.

"No! The Mad Titan was clear. The girl's to do it. Go on, Elizabeth. Now!" Proxima commands. 

Once again Liz raises her wand, hand trembling.

Your own arm is stiff, sure. The vein in your hand pulsates...

You watch Laufeyson come into view on the platform above. 

"Loki..." Proxima says distastefully, "Well, look who's here. Midgards own Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Come to see the slaughter?"

Laufeyson ignores her. 

"Loki...please." Strange mouths.

"I gave my word. I made a vow..." Laufeyson whispers. 

Your eyes dart back and forth frantically, trying to make sense of the scene playing out above. Laufeyson's arm rises.

"Avada Kedavra." 

A jet of green light hits Strange squarely in the chest.

For a second he hangs, suspended upon the ramparts, and then...the night swallows him.

You shriek in rage. 

Proxima raises her wand to the sky and a deafening blast shakes the castle, masking your cry. The clouds explode with grim light, mutating into a skull.

You scramble up the stairs and lurch to the ramparts, bathed in the green light from above. You peer down. Agony wrecks your face and you are forced to steady yourself. You look up into the leering skull above, and pure rage fills your heart.  
_

You burst through the entrance doors, wand in hand. Before you, the grounds shimmer eerily in the green glow. Your spot the the figures of everyone fleeting towards Bruce's Hut. As you race toward them, a giant fireball erupts into the sky.

You bolt forth, wand in hand, vengeance in your eyes. Up ahead, Laufeyson stands stolidly, tall and black against the raging fire. You point your wand, and fire a jet of red light. 

He doesn't move, and merely lets it streak by his head. 

You stop, chest heaving, and take aim again, "Cruciatus!"

Laufeyson raises his wand, and parries the curse with ease.

"Incacerata!" 

Once again, he deflects the spell.

"Impedimenta!"

Another lazy flick of the arm, another curse defeated.

You drop your arm in frustration.

"Fight! Fight back, you coward!" You scream. 

With staggering quickness Laufeyson's wand whips forth and you go flying off your heels and crashing to the earth.

"Don't ever associate that word and my name again." Laufeyson spits.

You raise yourself up on one knee, and point your wand when a jet of red light sends you crashing back into the grass once more.

Laufeyson wheels, and spots Proxima standing behind him, "No!" He snaps, "She belongs to the Mad Titan!"

Proxima eyes Laufeyson levelly, then turns and trots off. Loki glances at you, then turns away. 

You grimace, pulling yourself to your feet and aim one last time, "Sectumsempra!"

Laufeyson wheels and once more sends you flying onto your back. You stare at the stars as they wheel over you, when Loki comes into view.

"You dare use my own spells against me, Marvel?"

You go still. You eyes shift, and meet Loki's.

"Yes. It's me. I'm the Half-Blood Prince." Loki kicks your wand aside and turns away, joining Liz and the others where they wait beyond the flaming ruins of Bruce's Hut. They head for the darkness of the treeline. And vanish.   
_

The throng of students surrounding Strange's body part for you.

You kneel by his body. 

Strange's eyes are closed, his face peaceful. You straighten his crimson cloak, and wipe a trickle of blood from his mouth. You run the back of you hand gently over his weathered cheek.

You notice around Strange's neck lies the necklace, the green stone glowing within. You take it, and consider it numbly. 

Then you begin to cry, great shudders of grief wracking your body. Someone's strong arms wrap around you, Peter. Your head falls on his shoulder and he begins to stroke you. He understands it all.

T'Challa lifts a trembling wand to the sky and slowly the tip glows to life. One after another, students and staff do the same, lifting their wands in salute. 

The Dark Mark vanishes.  
_

The castle sits silent. 

Black banners fly on the parapets.

You enter the headmasters office. For a moment, you simply stand, staring. Taking inventory. Spying something, you cross to the great desk opposite, and look down.

Strange's wand.

Reaching out, you take it in hand. Old, oft-used, golden and bearing the impression of its owner's fingers, it is a strangely beautiful object. You trace your thumb lightly over the wood, transfixed, when Professor T'Challa enters.

"_______." He greets.

You don't respond, lost in the wand. 

"_______, because of of what's happened... if you need to talk to someone..." he falters 

You gently sets the wand back upon the desk, and retrace your steps to the door, and pause. Just..for one last look. 

"You should know...Stephen..." T'Challa looks for the right words.

You turn, studying his drawn face, no words.

At a loss, he finishes quietly, "You meant a lot to him."

Your eyes rise. High upon the wall, the past Headmasters snooze in their frames. The last looks remarkably peaceful, the trace of a smile on his lips as he sleeps. 

Strange. 

You nod, lingering one last moment, and exit.  
_

Glancing off the astronomy tower, you and Peter stand by the ramparts while Michelle sits on the steps further along, just out of earshot.

You stare into the distance at the ashes of Bruce's Hut. Peter toys with the necklace.

"Do you think she would've done it...Liz?" He mutters.

"No. She was lowering her wand. In the end, it was Loki. It was always Loki. And I did nothing..." 

"I'm sorry...I still try to find the good in Liz. Even now." Peter frowns. He studies you, then holds up the locket, "Weird. That this thing is a piece of Thanos' soul..."

"Yeah, odd. Only...it's not. It's a fake." You grimace. 

As he reacts, you nod.

"Go on. Open it." You urge him.

Peter opens the locket and removes a piece of paper folded in a tight square, "To the Mad Titan. I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real stone and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once again - J.B.B." He looks up, "J.B.B.?" 

You shrug, "Dunno. But whoever they are, they have the real Horcrux. Which means, it was a waste. All of it." 

Peter shakes his head, then sighs, "Michelle's okay with it, you know. You and Me. But...I think when she's around, we should keep the making out to a minimum." 

Peter smiles faintly, trying to cheer your up, but you merely nod, looking away again.

"I'm not coming back, Peter. I have to finish what Strange started. I'm not sure where that will lead me... but I'll let you and Michelle know where I am— when I can." You take his hand. 

"I've always admired your courage, ______, but sometimes...you're really dumb." Peter laughs quietly. 

You turn, looking at him in surprise.

"You don't really think you can find all those Horcruxes by yourself, do you?" He leans in, "You need us, ______." 

You just stare at him. It's no use. 

He cocks his head, smiling, doing his best to coax one out of you. Finally, you smile back.

"I do. I really do...But do me a favor. Tell Michelle when Pietro's around to keep the making out to a minimum." 

Peter laughs, "Like that's going to happen." 

"Well. Look at us. I'm me and you're crazy." You give a small smile. 

"Funny, I say the same about you." He teases. 

You sigh, your pain alleviated for this moment, "You're the best. You both are."

You glance at Michelle and look off again.

Peter squeezes your hand, then falters, "Do you think we'll ever..."

Do you think we'll ever come back?

He stops. His eyes glisten briefly. 

You fight back your own emotions, and pull him into a weak embrace, "I don't know." 

You give Peter a hard kiss and then release, and he nods, the two of you still holding one another.

Your eyes shift, and consider Michelle. As if sensing your gaze, she turns and you exchange a look, something unspoken but true passing between the two of you.

Michelle crosses to the pair of you and the three of you lean against the rampart, looking to the horizon, watching the sun grow smaller while its bright light somehow, if not magically, endures.

End of Year 6


End file.
